8/17/2019 Vickery Essay

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Patel 1

Sohil Patel

Mr. Kitchings

AP English F1

1 December 2015

Summary on Vicery!s The Dimensions of Consciousness

"n The Dimensions of Consciousness# $lga Vicery e%&lores the &ri'ate (orl)s o* each

*amily member o* A))ie +un)ren in As I Lay Dying . +y &ointing out the )i**erent thought

 &rocesses an) )i**erent mo)es o* consciousness each character &ossesses# Vicery is able to sho(

the relationshi& each character ha) (ith A))ie +un)ren. For Anse# his relationshi& (ith A))ie

(as nothing but (or)s. ,he t(o (ere husban) an) (i*e by name# but )i) not ha'e the &ersonal

relationshi& similar to a marrie) cou&le. ,hus# because Anse li'es by (or)s alone# rather than

 both (or)s an) actions# the )esires an) re-uests o* A))ie )o not com&el Anse to )o anything. "n

*act# e'en though Anse says he is taing A))ie to e**erson as it (as her last (ish# he is actually

 /ust maing the long tri& to e**erson to get a ne( set o* teeth. Furthermore# although Anse gi'es

a heart(arming *uneral oration# he re*uses to buy a sho'el to )ig A))ie!s gra'e an) e'en *in)s

himsel* a ne( (i*e a*ter shortly arri'ing in e**erson. hile Anse is not a**ecte) by A))ie!s

*uneral# ash )oes un)ergo a trans*ormation. ash# unlie Anse# &laces actions o'er (or)s. e

uses actions instea) o* (or)s to e%&ress his *eelings to(ar)s his mother. For e%am&le# he buil)s

the co**in out o* his lo'e *or A))ie. As Vicery argues# the &ain that ash e%&eriences throughout

the no'el gi'es ash increasing a(areness an) sensiti'ity to(ar)s -uestionable acts. For

e%am&le# ash un)erstan)s (hy Darl burne) the barn )o(n# an) thus he taes the blame *or

Darl. As a result# because ash has *inally merge) (or)s an) actions together (ith his ne(

8/17/2019 Vickery Essay

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Patel 2

 &erce&tion# ash is able to gain the humane an) moral -ualities that some o* his other *amily

members are lacing. Darl# (ho )i) not recei'e any o* A))ie!s a**ections# is much more

no(le)geable than the other +un)rens. As a result# he tries to )e*ine reality# resulting in his

se&aration *rom reality. +ecause o* this se&aration# Darl goes ma). e(el# (ho (as most lo'e)

 by A))ie# *ocuses all his emotions onto A))ie. As Vicery states# he tries to tae e%clusi'e

 &ossession o* A))ie# (hich intensi*ies as she nears )eath. At this &oint# e(el loos to his horse

as a re&resentation o* A))ie. $nly he is allo(e) to *ee)# care *or# an) touch it. ,o e(el# the

horse is A))ie. De(ey Dell# (ho ha) a 'ery im&ersonal an) unemotional relationshi& (ith her

mother# )oes not seem 'ery concerene) about A))ie!s )eath. "n *act# she cares more about &eo&le

*in)ing about her &regnancy# (hich is (hy she *irst )reams o* illing Darl# (ho no(s her

secret# an) then later 'iolently assists in ha'ing him sent to acson. Var)aman# the youngest

chil)# )oes not yet un)erstan) the meaning o* )eath. ,hus# Var)aman creates analogies an)

relates his )ea) mother to a )ea) *ish. +ecause Var)aman has absolutely nothing to gui)e him

to(ar)s his belie*s o* )eath# Var)aman )e'elo&s a )istorte) conce&t o* )eath. ust lie all the

+un)rens inter&ret an) are a**ecte) by A))ie!s )eath in )i**erent *ashions# the other characters in

the no'el too res&on) )i**erently# sho(ing the range o* &ossible social reactions to a)'ersities.

hile Mc3o(an an) Moseley re*use to see (here De(ey Dell is coming *rom# Samson

Armsti)# Doctor Peabo)y# an) ,ull try to hel& the +un)rens out as much as &ossible. o(e'er#

not until A))ie has )ie) an) all the members ha'e come to terms (ith (hat A))ie means to them

can the +un)rens get ri) o* this tension e'i)ent throughout the no'el.