The Bundren Family: Hero or Zero?
The Bundren Family: Hero or Zero? In this blog, I will be answering the question: are the As I Lay Dying protagonists heroes or clownish goobers? Spoiler: I think they’re neither. In As I Lay Dying , William Faulkner creates a story with shifting narratives all focusing on one journey. Because of this, us readers are able to see into the minds of almost all the characters, and understand just how each of them think. While this technique is commonly used, we don’t really see it in the way Faulkner uses it: where each character isn’t really representing the truth of the situation at hand. All of the characters have their own beliefs and flaws, and in my opinion Faulkner is really good at showing how each character’s thoughts and beliefs affect their portrayal of the story. For example, Vardaman, a young boy, becomes obsessed with the idea that his dead mother is a fish (Faulkner 53). While not actually true, his belief of his mom being a fish shows up in the story so much that eve...