Sample Book Report: As I Lay Dying

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Sample Book Report

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Student Hint: This book report is provided to give you a basic idea of what is expected for the PRT 3310 Book/Video Report Assignment. You may not use this book for this assignment. Please note the hints within the report provided for the benefit of the students. Faulkner, William. (1991 ) As I Lay Dying. New York: Vintage International.

Book Summary: As the novel begins, Addie Bundren lies dying in her bed in her family's farmhouse in southeastern Yoknapatawpha County. Addie watches from her bed, while outside her window her oldest son, Cash is crafting her coffin. Her second son, Darl convinces his brother Jewel (Addie's third son) to go with him to pick up a load of lumber. Though he realizes Addie will probably die before they return, Darl convinces his father, Anse, that it is okay because "It means three dollars." Darl's apparent goal is to make sure that Jewel (Addie's favorite son) will not be at her side when she dies. While Addie's daughter, Dewey Dell stays by her bedside trying to cool her mother with a fan, Vardaman (her youngest son) goes fishing and catches a very big fish, which Anse tells Dewey Dell to cook for their dinner. (Later, Vardaman begins to confuse the fish with his dead mother, resulting in Faulkner's shortest, and one of his most famous — or infamous — chapters: "My mother is a fish.") Dr. Peabody arrives at the Bundrens' house just in time to watch Addie die. Vardaman reacts in an outrage and chases away Peabody's horse and wagon as if the doctor's arrival had brought about his mother's death. Just after Addie's death a violent storm breaks, and Darl's and Jewel's lumber-laden

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wagon loses a wheel in a ditch. Meanwhile, young Vardaman drills holes into the coffin lid (so his mother can breathe) and inadvertently drills into her face. By the time the coffin and the wagon's wheel are repaired, three days have passed before the family can set off on their journey to bury Addie. Years earlier Addie had asked her husband to bury her in Jefferson, where her "people" were from. So to keep the promise he made to Addie, Anse and his children sets off toward Jefferson. The Journey: The novel is told in discrete monologues by various speakers. These monologues or chapters reveal more and more information about the Bundren family, their grief, and their society. The majority of chapters are told by the most conscientious Bundren and detached member of the family, Darl. He is near-omniscient in his knowledge about his family: he knows, for instance, that his sister Dewey Dell is pregnant, and that Jewel is only his half-brother (his father is a local minister rather than Anse). All of the Bundrens except for Darl and Jewel have personal motives for joining the long journey to Jefferson. Anse, the most selfish of them, wants a new set of teeth. Cash wants a "graphophone" (phonograph) and Vardaman wants to buy a toy train. Dewey Dell wants to get an abortion (with the ten dollars that Lafe, the would-be father, has given her). Two Threats: The macabre funeral journey faces natural catastrophes of flood and fire as well as an intense family struggle. This journey provides many insights into the family, their social status, and the attitude of Anse regarding other people. Their first major threat in their journey is the flood-swollen Yoknapatawpha River. Although they attempt to avoid the danger of the river by traveling well out of their way, the bridge has been swept away. The family return to a bridge closer to home, which is likewise damaged by the flood. They decide to chance crossing on the — which turns out to be a mistake. In the process, Cash's leg is broken and their mules are drowned. Jewel struggles heroically to save his mother's coffin and then assists in retrieving Cash's most valuable possession, his carpenter tools. Rather than borrow mules from neighbors, Anse makes an arrangement with a kinsman of Flem Snopes to trade Cash's eight dollars (which he had planned to use to buy the "graphophone"), his farm equipment, and Jewel's beloved horse (for which Jewel had worked many nights to obtain and which he treats more kindly than most human beings) for a new team of mules. As the family slowly progresses towards the town of Jefferson, they are treated with ever-increasing outrage: Addie's decomposing body is beginning to smell and to attract buzzards. Dewey Dell tries to get an abortion but she is rebuffed by a morally upright and law-abiding pharmacist. Cash has been bravely enduring the pain of his broken leg, often stating that it "Hit never bothered me none." Rather than leaving Cash with friends or purchasing medicine at the pharmacy, Anse uses cement to craft a cast for Cash's broken leg. Unfortunately, the sun bakes the cement and as it hardens Cash's leg and foot turn black. The second threat occurs as the Bundrens spend a night at Gillespie's farm. Mysteriously the barn where Addie's coffin was being stored overnight catches fire. Gillespie and the Bundren "boys" struggle to save the livestock from the flames. Jewel again rescues his mother's coffin resulting in burns to his back. Vardaman reveals to Dewey Dell that he had seen something, but his sister tells him not to tell anyone else.

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Arrival in Jefferson: The Bundren family finally arrive in Jefferson nine days after Addie's death. Anse borrows some shovels from a "duck-shaped" woman to dig Addie's grave, and finally fulfills his promise. Immediately following the burial, Darl is sent to a mental asylum in Jackson to avoid the Bundrens being sued by Gillespie. (We discover that Darl had set the fire in Gillespie's barn in an attempt to end their outrageous journey.) Cash is sent to Dr. Peabody to "doctor" his broken leg. The doctor offers a humorous tirade concerning the insanity of the cement cast and Cash's noble act that the leg had not caused him pain. Vardaman discovers the toy train is no longer in the store window. Dewey Dell finds a pharmacist who says he will help her with the medicine needed to take care of her unwanted pregnancy. Instead he tricks her into granting him sexual favors. Anse convinces Dewey Dell to give him the ten dollars so he can buy a new set of teeth. As the novel ends, the family is preparing for the trip home. Anse re-appears before his family with the duck-shaped woman — who happens to own a "graphophone"— and introduces her by saying, "Meet Mrs. Bundren." (Hint for PRT 3310 Students: Do not attempt to repeat the entire story but rather summarize the key events and characters that help you understand and apply the concepts of the course.)

Reflection Questions: z

What constraints or barriers to their participation in leisure pursuits did the individual or individuals have to overcome in the videos or books? Be specific, as to what the constraint was and how it was manifest in the book or videos ( i.e., attitudinal, communication, consumptive, economic, temporal, health, experience, social/cultural, leisure values and skills, and/or environmental). { The economic barriers that challenge the Bundren family are numerous throughout the book, but the one "electric toy train" that Vardaman desires is symbolic of the tragic condition of being a poor farm boy. Vardaman has previously seen the toy train, a red one with flashing lights on the track, in a store window in town (the window representing an invisible and invincible barrier to his desire). His sister Dewey Dell exhibits a caring, motherly concern for her younger brother that sharply contrasts with her mother's indifference. Dewey Dell encourages her brother to believe that the train will still be there in the store window, "because it belongs to Santa Claus and he taken it back with him until next Christmas" (p. 100). But Vardaman is not hopeful. Being a poor farm boy whose father cannot afford to buy him a bicycle (and feeds him and the rest of the family a steady diet of bananas "because flour and sugar and coffee cost so much"), Vardaman fears that some rich town boy has already acquired the train. "Why aint I a town boy, pa?" (p. 66). The reader and Vardaman are disappointed to learn that the train is no longer available, since his first sight of the train "made [his] heart hurt" (p. 216). The reader can sense the disappointment and despair in Vardaman's voice, for himself as well as for Darl: "He had to get on the train to go to Jackson. I have not been on the train, but Darl has been on the train" (p. 252). This young boy has little hope of owning a bicycle or toy train and finds solace in fishing, but alas even the joy catching a large fish is shortlived as his father orders the fish prepared for dinner. Another image of the Bundrens' poverty is the frequent reference to bananas in the book. The poverty is evidenced in their grocery-shopping list. "Pa said flour and sugar and coffee costs so much." Then just as many parents do when the children desire things that are beyond the family's means, "Wouldn't you ruther have some bananas instead?" The many references to bananas throughout the story are a continual reminder that the Bundrens are poor farmers barely surviving on their cotton farm, supplemented by day labor they find to

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do on the side. Leisure is a luxury that the Bundren family can little afford. Jewel seeks satisfaction in riding his horse which he earned by working at night. Vardaman seeks pleasure in fishing. Cash takes pleasure in carpentry miticulously crafting useful items. In this novel, the smallest pleasures enjoyed by the characters are plucked away either by fate or the greed of others. They often feel like outcasts among the town’s people which was highlighted by the frequent references to people scorning them as they journey to Jefferson. Several people remark at the smell of Addie's body as the journey does not even start until three days after her death and her burial comes six days later. The odor is symbolic of the barrier that exists between the Bundrens and the town's people.

z

Were there situations or instances of misperceptions, steroeotypes, or discrimination in the book or video? How did this complicate or constrain the efforts of the dominant figure in the book or video? { Stereotypes: Poor, un-educated farmers: Throughout the novel the language of the characters is typical of the image of poor Southern cotton farmers. At times the reading is challenging due to the frequent change in storytellers and the disjointed story line, but the language itself provides an image of the lack of education between "town-folk" and "poorfarmers." An example of this is the imagery of the road. Anse refers to the road beside their house as "Durn that road…" (p. 35) self-satire, that is, an expression by a character who, unintentionally and even unknowingly, reveals character traits about himself that are laughable and foolish. Roads, Anse says, are "for traveling"; and since, at this stage of his life, all he wants to do is sit still and not sweat, this road that has been built beside his house is a threat. God made humans "up-and-down ways, like a tree": thus they should, like trees, be content to "stay put" and not be tempted "to get up and go somewheres else" by following roads. Yet, is stark contrast to the imagery of the lack of education, the key character of the book was a former teacher from the town of Jefferson who had lived a harsh life of the wife to a poor farmer. Many of the ideas and analogies hint at great insight and intelligence, disguised in awkward language. { Misperceptions and Discrimination: Anse is portrayed as a "lazy, self-centered" man. The reader is left to wonder whatever made Addie believe this man could bring her joy . . . why did she ever marry him? Whereas, the prideful Anse repeatedly does not want to impose on neighbors and friends, he does impose on his family to provide the labor, money, and goods that Anse needs to fulfill his desires, many times to the detriment of the family. Jewel loses his prized horse, Cash loses his eight dollars and almost his leg, Darl is sent to insane asylum, Vardaman loses his fish, and Dewey Dell loses her ten dollars. The reader is left to wonder how Anse will survive without Addie and one less son to assist in the farm labor. Then the final chapter of the book brings one more shocking event, Anse makes a chance discovery of a new wife (and a graphophone) while borrowing a shovel to bury his first wife. The irony stuns the reader as the story abruptly ends with the introduction of the new "Mrs. Bundren." It gives light to the final discrimination exercised by Anse. Whereas, Anse was reluctant to accept the generosity of the farm families as the Bundrens traveled to Jefferson, these families were generous and accepting of the family and their plight. The town-folk had discriminated against the family and several members of the community took unfair advantage of the characters, yet Anse would seek a new wife from among the townfolk.

z

How was the constraint or barrier eliminated? How did they overcome these challenges in order succeed? If they failed in overcoming the challenge, what did they need in order to succeed? (i.e., self-concept, self-efficacy, support services/advocacy, and mainstreaming) { The universal truths of love, honor, pity, pride, compassion, and sacrifice are often

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reference in the characters recounting of the Bundren's life on the farm or the journey to Jefferson. The reader is left to wonder how their life would have been easier with proper health care, education, and some opportunity for some pleasant diversions. It is sad to discover that while the family is enduring the journey to bury their mother, it is Christmas time and the children have little hope of presents or any luxuries, such as sugar or flour. Their desires are simple, and yet they are deprived of even these and must settle for bananas. { Overcoming the challenge of poverty: Faulkner does not tell a light-hearted tale of the hero overcoming poverty and becoming rich, but rather of finding happiness within poverty. Unlike Addie, Cash discovers that life does provide some glimmer of hope and happiness if one takes the time to cherish the little pleasures in life. Cash is the only Bundren in the book that evidences a strong self-concept and the intelligence to see beyond the predicament of their condition. Cash knows there are dreamers and idealists who want more from life than life can often provide. Cash laments that it is best to accept one's limitations; don't let them defeat you; in fact, turn them to your own advantage and benefit. If you don't have the lumber to build a courthouse, Cash says, then build a chicken coop. Because "it's better to build a tight chicken coop than a shoddy courthouse," but whatever you build, "drive the nails down and trim the edges well" (p. 234). Cash evidences self-sacrifice as he tells his family that his broken leg doesn't bother him much, yet large beads of perspiration fall quickly from his brow as the wagon bumps along the road. Cash's tremendous capacity to endure; even to deny great physical pain seems symbolic of his handling of psychological pain as well. As the oldest son, he surely must have experienced something of the same rivalry and jealousy for the love of his mother that we see between Darl and Jewel. He builds the casket in a final effort to win his mother's love, yet he is not as troubled or mentally unbalanced by this situation as his brothers have been. Cash knows that his family will not rest until his mother is buried and Darl has been delivered to the men from the asylum, so he delays the "fixin" of his leg until the damage is significant. During the final pages of the novel, Cash hints at a pastoral scene of the family gathering in the farmhouse around a fire on a winter's evening listening to a mail-order record on the new "Mrs. Bundren's graphophone." Cash represents the hope for the future, something Addie had missed in her tragic life. Cash represents a positive attitude, seeking solace in the few pleasures that his world affords. The generosity of the rural farm-folk is repeatedly shared in this novel. It is clear that Addie and Anse had overlooked a valuable resource, their own rural community. The community quickly gathered for Addie's funeral in the Bundren home, sharing insights into the past events of the family. Their neighbors risked their lives and their property to help the family on repeated occasions, yet the Bundrens did not fully utilize this resource. Having spent much of my youth on a farm, I know first hand of the strength of a rural community. When our family's farm was isolated due to a flood, neighbors brought us food and assistance by boat. I remember many of community gathering to celebrate weddings, anniversaries, and "good harvests." Social activities consisted of "corn shucking", quilting, and church events. There is evidence in the book that this rural community possessed the same centrality. Yet, Addie and Anse sought solace in the Jefferson. Addie scorned her own children when she asked to be buried among her "blood relatives" in Jefferson. Anse repeatedly scorned their neighbor's generosity, yet returned with a new wife from among the town-folk. What other issues covered in PRT 3310 are related to this book or videos? Be specific. { Lifecycles: The entire story epitomizes the shared experiences of a family that influences the development of individual values and behaviors. At once absurd and profound, this novel is the story of a family's single-minded commitment to honor their mother and surmount obstacles to their journey while wrestling with personal desires and crises of their own. At the heart of the novel beats a family's response to the loss of the most important

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person in their lives, Addie. They laugh, they curse, they fight, they bleed, they break, they love, and they somehow survive the challenges that life deals them. The tragic story of the Bundrens is still evident today. „ Each of the characters are experiencing different stages in their lives. Vardaman is the most obvious as the sensitive and defensive child (experiencing many of the characteristics of middle childhood stage) struggling with curiosity . . . asking lots of questions in an attempt to understand his situation, the development of logic, and his ability to exercise independent action (leaving his mother's deathbed to go fishing). Vardaman struggles with his identity in the absence of his mother. He is bewildered and horrified by the transformation of a fish he caught into "pieces of not-fish." He associates this image with his mother's death. He has not fully accepted her death when he drills holes into the coffin so that she can breathe. (I can relate very much to this situation as my sister died from breast cancer leaving a 10 year old daughter to grasp the meaning of life and her own identity in the absence of her mother.) Upon Addie's death, Vardaman wonders at his own identity when he states "My mother is a fish." „ Dewey Dell is the adolescent daughter struggling with her idealistic world and attempting to resolve the problem of an unwanted pregnancy without a mother to counsel her. She places her trust in adult role models (the pharmacists she meets in pursuit of the medicine Lafe has assured her will resolve her predicament) only to be taken advantage of and abused. Dewey Dell is the adolescent who is seeking independence from her family through mixed sex activities and the hope of resolution in the trip to town. When the family approaches Jefferson, she pleads with her father to allow her to stop outside of town under the guise of having to relieve herself. She seeks social approval when she reappears in a clean outfit. Unfortunately, Dewey Dell constant concern with her condition is not resolved and she is the victim of a sexual predator. It is clear in her concern that the impending birth will spell out a "death sentence" to her adolescence and optimistic hope for the future. „ Whereas, Darl, Jewel, and Cash seem to be in the early adulthood stage, there is little evidence of these young men seeking a mate or a life independent of the family. Darl is so dependent on his identity in relation to his mother that he attempts to end the journey to Jefferson so that he will not have to continue in the struggle to forge a new identity without her. It is clear that Darl fails to make the transition and slips into insanity as he babbles on the train ride to the asylum. „ Anse is approaching older adulthood as we read of his failing health and the need for a new set of teeth. He struggles to reestablish his family without Addie by securing a new Mrs. Bundren for the family. Anse is the most stereotypical portrayal of a man struggling with older age and the evolution of his family which in reality is the source of much of what Anse needs to survive. „ We may not have to struggle in the same manner, but as a family we can overcome whatever life deals us and somehow survive. Hopefully we are more like Cash . . . finding joy and happiness in life where we can, whenever we can as we.

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Women and the Ethic of Care: Faulkner portrays Addie as a fiercely independent, strongwilled woman who is driven to bitterness and despair by the discrepancy between her dreams and the reality of her situation. Her hopes and aspirations are never fulfilled and thus she feels betrayed by life. Her father told her it would be this way: "the reason for living was to get ready to stay dead a long time" (p. 169). But Addie resists this thinking for as long as she can. She marries Anse, hoping that marriage and motherhood might supply

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relief from her angst. But life with Anse is harsh and unsatisfying. Rather than seeing joy in childbirth and motherhood, she is robbed of the solitude within which she has found solace. Addie struggles with feelings of being trapped in a hopelessness and thankless life. Unlike the religious neighbor, Cora, Addie has no faith and takes no comfort in an afterlife. She attempts to find meaning and happiness in an affair with Reverend Whitfield, but that relationship ends unhappily. Even her total devotion and obsession with Jewel, the resulting child the brief affair, seems to be the case of unrequited love during her life. It is only in her death that we see the strength and devotion of Jewel towards his mother when he risks his own life twice to save her remains from the flooded river and the fire. It is as though something of the passion and vitality and will of Addie has escaped the coffin to infuse and empower all who have known her. It is through the imagery and events of the journey that we learn of the indisputable force and appeal of this truly remarkable woman. (Hint for PRT 3310 Students: In order to ensure that you fully address and respond to all reflection questions you are advised to copy and paste the actual questions into your report. The reflection questions allow you the opportunity to explore themes or characters as they struggle with concepts covered in the course readings, lectures, and exercises. You should spend sufficient time to develop ideas and your analysis in order to evidence your comprehension and retention of course content. The bulk of your paper should be spent on the reflection questions.)

Conclusion: The themes presented in Faulkner's novel, As I Lay Dying are the most basic and universal ideas (the nature of grieving, community, family, and our journey through life) which are explored in literary work. Although the story is set in the imaginary southeastern Yoknapatawpha County of Mississippi in the early 1940's, the characters are struggling with the same issues that many people struggle with today. The dominant themes are the impermanence of existence (the death of Addie), the question of identity (Darl and Vardaman), social identity (the struggle of poor farm folk), and basic survival against nature (the storm and flood). When the characters seemed the most earnest in their narration, the most bizarre and tragic events occur. This provides the greatest insight to the characters since there is no clear description of the characters themselves in the book. We are left to sort out the apparent age and profile of each character through the recounting of various stories as the dialogue moves from past events, to present, and then past again. This is when the illustration of women and the ethic of care, life stages, stereotypes, and discrimination become clearly evident. The story telling through a series of "streamof-consciousness" complicates the reader's efforts to fully understand the characters as they endure several strange and unbelievable events. A full understanding of the framework of the story is only discovered at the conclusion of this jumble of memories, unexplained allusions, and images. Only then is the reader able to find some sense of understanding of the characters and this dysfunctional family. (Hint for PRT 3310 Students: Students often ask as to how long their response should be in order to fully address the questions and provide an adequate summary. Typically we have received excellent responses that succinctly but fully summarize the book or two videos and respond to all reflection questions in 4 to 5 pages. Although this may not be the case in all book and video reports, it is a general reference for those curious students. We do not grade on the basis of length, but content. Be succinct but complete. Typically a one sentence or phrase response will be inadequate (if the response is shorter than the question itself) then you will not receive full credit for the attempt. Additionally, a lengthy verbose response is not a guarantee that you will receive the full credit either.) Back to the Book and Video Report Guidelines

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