Literary Criticism

Freudian Analysis

During the early 1900s, the ideas of Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud became very popular. His iceberg theory claimed that the majority of activity in the brain occurs in the sub-conscience, whereas the conscious part of the brain is only the tip of the iceberg. When analyzing As I Lay Dying through a psychological perspective, this Freudian concept of the sub-conscience and repressed thoughts and feelings continually arise as the different characters in the book struggle to deal with the grief of the passing of Mrs. Addie Bundren.

Dewey Dell is the best example of this concept as she has repressed ual desires throughout the novel. Not only does she have a ual relationship with Lafe, but she also confesses in one of her chapters of having a nightmare while sleeping in the same bed as her brother Vardaman, and she is described by Tull as glaring at him as if he had touched her inappropriately. Also, she is constantly worried about her abortion which is why she feels that the doctor, Peabody, is so “useful” to her. Clearly, her repressed ual desires have been surfaced after Addie’s , because now Dewey Dell represents the only feminine presence among the rest of her family, which consists of all males, and this is evident as she struggles with her affairs involving the abortion instead of mourning for Addie.

The other characters also undergo changes throughout the course of this story which relate to the Freudian iceberg concept. Their psychological changes are common in that none of these characters can cope with Addie’s at a conscious level. Rather, they need to translate this grief into some physical object, or activity, at the unconscious level. One example of this is the way in which Cash copes with Addie’s . He does this as he carves out Addie’s coffin for the first half of the book. He shows no emotion, and barely speaks. Faulkner doesn’t even give him any chapters to narrate. Cash becomes so ingrained in his carpentry, that his character becomes associated with that job. Jewel copes with Addie’s through his horse. When Darl finds out that Addie has died, Jewel, who was Addie’s favorite son, does not show any sorrow. Instead, he simply worries about his horse back home. Darl even goes so far as to say that Jewel’s “mother is a horse.” Darl, himself, also copes with his mother’s through unconscious means. He starts to question his existence, and becomes enmeshed in deep philosophical thought. This preoccupation eventually leads him to be seen as mentally ill, and he is transferred to a mental ward.

When analyzing this book, the psychological theories of Sigmund Freud become very clear, because this story revolves around, and builds upon the the way in which different characters view Addie’s , and how they are able to cope with this traumatic experience. Each of the chapters is na by the viewpoint of a different character in order to show the reader the exact thoughts and feelings in the mind of the character as he/she experiences and witnesses Addie’s . In this way, it becomes obvious that Freudian ideas were a necessary ingredient for Faulkner to be able to accomplish his goal.

-R. Syed

Thematic Analysis

Pages 41-87

One of the themes that this work revolves around, is the volatile nature of human existence and how it is defined and perceived by different characters. Through pages 41-87Faulkner gives the reader an insight into these various perceptions by conveying the thoughts and feelings of the different characters as they react to the demise of Addie Bundren. Addie Bundren is the mother of Jewel, Darl, Dewey Dell, and Vardaman. Her demise is the center point of this story. The power of this theme of the impermanence of human existence is shown by the effects Addie’s has mainly on characters such as Vardaman and Darl.

The notion of existence and is first brought about in Peabody’s first chapter as the narrator, when he witnesses Addie’s . He says, “ I can remember how when I was young I believed to be a phenomenon of the body; now I know it to be merely function of the mind-and that of the minds of the ones who suffer the bereavement. The nihilists say it is the end; the fundamentalists, the beginning; when in reality it is no more than a single tenant or family moving out of a tenement or a town.” (pgs. 43-44). This reflects Faulkner’s view of , that it is merely a transition into another state of non-existence, instead of a beginning or an end. This quote by Peabody represents the theme of the work that human existence is not constant but naturally subject to change. Another example of this occurs in Darl’s section as he describes the exact instant when Addie dies: “her eyes, the life in them, rushing suddenly upon them; the two flames glare up for a steady instant. Then they go out as though someone had leaned down and blown upon them. “ (page 48). The quote above also reflects the same notion of the delicate and fragile nature of human existence as Faulkner likens Addie’s life at that moment to a flame, which was blown out in an instant.

Through pages 41-87, the respective reactions of both Darl and Vardaman to Addie’s , and the effects that it has on them later on in the book, also serve to illuminate this theme. For example, Vardaman is constantly preoccupied with the fish that he caught during the time right after Addie has died. Regarding the fish, he says “it is cut up into pieces of not-fish now, not-blood on my hands and overalls.” (page 53)The fact that Vardaman’s thoughts of the fish are intertwined with his anger and grief resulting from Addie’s , is important, because it likens Vardaman’s view of the fish’s impermanent existence to that of Addie’s . Vardaman’s limited wisdom and understanding only allow him to believe that there are only two forms of life, existence and non-existence. This polarity in his thinking, further strengthens the theme of the work, involving the nature of .

Darl is another character whose thoughts give the reader an insight into the theme of the volatile nature of existence. This is shown in Darl’s chapter when he says “In a strange room you must empty yourself for sleep. And before you are emptied for sleep, you are not. And when you are filled with sleep, you never were. I don’t know what I am. I don’t know if I am or not.” (page 80). He also says that now that Addie is , she is described as “was”, and not “is”, and since he no longer has a mother, Darl himself does not exist. Not only do these quotes reflect Darl’s philosophical and perceptive nature, but once again the idea of the impermenance of existence is brought up, as Darl (so far the most reliable narrator, and closest to the author’s voice) questions not only Addie’s existence, but now his own.

-R. Syed