As I Lay DyingAs I Lay DyingWilliam FaulknerWilliam FaulknerAn IntroductionAn Introduction

Faulkner’s Unusual Faulkner’s Unusual FormatFormat

As a leader of the As a leader of the Modernist MovementModernist Movement, , Faulkner’s primary accomplishment is his Faulkner’s primary accomplishment is his use of use of experimental narrationexperimental narration..

As I Lay DyingAs I Lay Dying is told by is told by 15 separate 15 separate narratorsnarrators, each telling his or her own , each telling his or her own version of the events, sometimes version of the events, sometimes supportingsupporting and sometimes and sometimes contradictingcontradicting each other.each other.

Faulkner’s Unusual Faulkner’s Unusual FormatFormat

Hallmarks of Faulkner’s TechniqueHallmarks of Faulkner’s Technique Shifting narration from one character to anotherShifting narration from one character to another Stream-of-consciousness narration Stream-of-consciousness narration Disruptions in standard chronologyDisruptions in standard chronology Allowing the reader to put the story into some kind Allowing the reader to put the story into some kind

of coherent orderof coherent order

The variety and range of personalities make The variety and range of personalities make his “little postage stamp of native soil” his “little postage stamp of native soil” representative of the entire human race.representative of the entire human race.

Point of ViewPoint of View

Scholars have pointed out that Faulkner Scholars have pointed out that Faulkner may have been influenced by the may have been influenced by the Impressionist and Cubist painters – such Impressionist and Cubist painters – such as Claude Monet and Paul Cezanne – in as Claude Monet and Paul Cezanne – in his depiction of a truth that is very his depiction of a truth that is very subjective and almost constantly subjective and almost constantly evolving. Faulkner viewed and wrote evolving. Faulkner viewed and wrote home about the works of these artists on home about the works of these artists on his visit to Paris in 1925.his visit to Paris in 1925.

Point of ViewPoint of View

Certainly one can easily see the similarity Certainly one can easily see the similarity of of As I Lay Dying As I Lay Dying to Monet’s series of to Monet’s series of paintings of the same object, for paintings of the same object, for example, haystacks and “Stacks of example, haystacks and “Stacks of Wheat” or “The Cathedral of Rouen.” In Wheat” or “The Cathedral of Rouen.” In these paintings and Faulkner’s novel, these paintings and Faulkner’s novel, truth is, to a great degree, personal, truth is, to a great degree, personal, relative and ever changing.relative and ever changing.

Faulkner and MonetFaulkner and Monet

How did the Impressionist and Cubist How did the Impressionist and Cubist painters – such as Claude Monet and painters – such as Claude Monet and Paul Cezanne – influence the work of Paul Cezanne – influence the work of William Faulkner?William Faulkner?

View of the Roman View of the Roman Cathedral’s portal Cathedral’s portal nowadaysnowadays

The Portal of Rouen The Portal of Rouen Cathedral in morning Cathedral in morning lightlight

The Portal of Rouen The Portal of Rouen Cathedral in morning Cathedral in morning lightlight

The Portal of Rouen The Portal of Rouen Cathedral, harmony in blue Cathedral, harmony in blue and goldand gold

The Portal of Rouen The Portal of Rouen Cathedral, harmony in blue Cathedral, harmony in blue and goldand gold

The Portal of Rouen The Portal of Rouen Cathedral and the tower Cathedral and the tower d’Albaned’Albane

The Portal of Rouen The Portal of Rouen Cathedral at afternoonCathedral at afternoon

The Portal of Rouen The Portal of Rouen Cathedral, the Portal on a Cathedral, the Portal on a grey daygrey day

The Portal of Rouen The Portal of Rouen Cathedral, “le Portal vu de Cathedral, “le Portal vu de face”, harmony in brownface”, harmony in brown

As I Lay DyingAs I Lay Dying by William Faulknerby William Faulkner

Type of WorkType of Work NovelNovel

GenreGenre Satire of heroic narrative; rural novel; comedy; Satire of heroic narrative; rural novel; comedy;

tragedytragedy ToneTone

Varies from narrator to narrator to narrator: tragic, Varies from narrator to narrator to narrator: tragic, comic, calm, hysterical, emotional, detachedcomic, calm, hysterical, emotional, detached

SettingSetting 1920s, in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, 1920s, in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County,

MississippiMississippi

As I Lay DyingAs I Lay Dyingby William Faulknerby William Faulkner

Major ConflictMajor Conflict The members of the Bundren family trek across the The members of the Bundren family trek across the

Mississippi countryside to bury Addie, their wife and Mississippi countryside to bury Addie, their wife and mother.mother.

Source of the TitleSource of the Title Agamemnon’s speech to Odysseus in the Agamemnon’s speech to Odysseus in the OdysseyOdyssey, ,

Book XIBook XI ““As I lay dying the woman with the dog’s eyes would As I lay dying the woman with the dog’s eyes would

not close my eyes for me as I descended into not close my eyes for me as I descended into Hades.”Hades.”

Tips for Reading FaulknerTips for Reading Faulkner

Be patient.Be patient. Be willing to re-read.Be willing to re-read. Focus on the characters.Focus on the characters. Look for timeless tales.Look for timeless tales. Make the story your own.Make the story your own.

Things to Look ForThings to Look For

Characters often express conflicting Characters often express conflicting opinions and contradicting sides to the opinions and contradicting sides to the same story.same story.

Look for changes in typeface. When the Look for changes in typeface. When the text goes from normal to text goes from normal to italicitalic it indicates it indicates a shift in perspective or a character’s a shift in perspective or a character’s inner thoughts.inner thoughts.

How to Read FaulknerHow to Read Faulkner

If you get lost…If you get lost… Check to see whose name is at the Check to see whose name is at the

beginning of the chapter.beginning of the chapter. Go back to the last place you remember the Go back to the last place you remember the

story make sense and reread.story make sense and reread. Ask yourself, “Where is Addie?”Ask yourself, “Where is Addie?”