As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner Essay Example

Carl Marx observes that inequality in a society results in some members being poor. Thus, the Bundrens are not exceptional (Megill 45).

Faulkner brings about the thought of self-identity and beliefs as he uses both Darl and Vardaman. There are fluctuations like identity as Vardaman cannot distinguish between “being ‘is’ and being ‘was’” (Faulkner 145).

The writer repeatedly said that Darl is my brother while his mother is a fish. He has a feeling of progressive identity and identifies a new relationship with others. Contrary, Darl cannot see the completion of character. His mother’s death completely alienates him from himself and others. This behavior leads to madness and isolation. Emotional attachments and beliefs have affected the stability of the family, as well as the like-minded characters (Megill 217).

The motives of the writer, Faulkner, indicate the sense of simplistic Christian beliefs. The characters show alienation from one another, as well as from God. There is little or no understanding of religion. This aspect of the themes is intensely illustrated by Whitefield, the preacher, and who commits adultery and presents a model of religious disbelief. Similarly, Cora Tull, who was a former pastor, has her gods being the pocket (Faulkner 234). The preachers have the role to play in maintaining religion, but instead, mock it in the name of servants of God. From Marx’s conception, the society is free to believe in themselves and the conditions of the life they are living (Megill 154).

Values of humanity have been illustrated by the tension between the words used by the characters and their thoughts. Faulkner expresses the insufficiency of using language to show how one means or intend to communicate.

The instance

of Addie and the emotions are not well demonstrated by the words because the conversations are brief, hesitant, and are not directly related to what the characters feel at that time. For instance, Tull and the local men use cash in their talks about his leg at the date of the burial (Faulkner 71). There are two separate conversations, one in a regular typing while the other is in italics but is richer in content. In contrast, Carl Marx observes that the use of a particular language directly reflects the thoughts in the minds of the speaker (Megill 163).

Poverty, social and personal belief, and religion are the most important ideologies portrayed by Faulkner in his novel, ‘As I Lay Dying.’ The death of Addie results in a mixture of reactions from the Bundren’s family as well as the community. The poverty in the household leads to sharp ends of the children, especially regarding their religious and personal perceptions.

However, the philosophers such as Carl Marx express personal attribute to social and economic values in a different version. The experiences of a man must correspond to the social settings and modify the behaviors as well as characters. The physical body is just an image, and the natural inertia or necessity gives rise to an ideological being. Therefore, the body is an instrument of the inner perception and beliefs.

References

1. Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying: The Corrected Text. New York: Vintage Books, 1990. Print.
2. Megill, Allan. Karl Marx: The Burden of Reason (why Marx Rejected Politics and the Market). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2002. Print.