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As I Lay Dying
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As I Lay Dying
By: William Faulkner
Quote/Why a classic?
Faulkner narrates this story through 15 different characters to teach readers a lesson that the view point of each individual varies even if they are reaching for the same goal. He also teaches readers that one's true nature reveals itself when someone experiences death. This story has withstood the wrath of time and continues to be an influence to readers who seek the truth and can also teach moral lessons about life and death.
“...the reason for living was to get ready to stay dead a long time.” This quote was said by the father at the funeral of Addie. In a way, he said it to cheer the young kids up, albeit it was an irony because he didn't care for Addie at all but he knew his time was coming soon.
Summary
History of the Book
The story is narrated by 15 characters. The Bundren family's mother, Addie, dies because of some illness and the family on a journey to bury her. The youngest Bundren, Vardaman tries to help his mother breathe by drilling holes into, the coffin, but accidentally drills through her face, another of the Bundren siblings gets pregnant without getting married and forgets about her mothers' death for her own problems. Another Bundren sibling breaks his leg. Misfortune after misfortune is thrown at the Bundren family. Will they be able to bury Addie without dying first?
- Published in 1930
- 7th novel
- Faulkner wrote the whole book without changing or crossing out a single word of it
- The title is derived from The Odyssey when Agamemnon speaks to Odysseus