Try not to get lost-and if you do, we'll provide the compass. For Faulkner, different perspectives means different realities. Long passages of italicized text within the novel reflect the inner workings of the characters' minds.all of which seems to be totally different.Īnd that's the point. Our guy was also influenced by the work of Sigmund Freud, whose theories about the subconscious were made increasingly popular in the 1920s. It all happens over the course of fifty-nine, sometimes overlapping sections.Īt the time, Faulkner’s novel and writing style contributed to the growing Modernist movement, which saw disillusioned post-WWI authors and poets trying to find some sort of meaning in an otherwise meaningless world. In As I Lay Dying, fifteen characters-most of them with the last name Bundren-take turns narrating the story in streams of consciousness. Nothing is simple.Īs I Lay Dying is famous for its experimental narrative technique, which Faulkner began in his earlier novel The Sound and the Fury. Sounds simple (and depressing) enough, but you have to remember: this is Faulkner. The novel, published after very little editing in 1930, tells the story of the Bundren family traveling to bury their dead mother. William Faulkner wrote his fifth novel, As I Lay Dying, in only six weeks in 1929-in case you wanted to feel bad about the past six weeks of your life. Want more deets? We've also got a complete Online Course about As I Lay Dying, with three weeks worth of readings and activities to make sure you know your stuff.

Faulkner william as i lay dying