Alienation in As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner Essay

William Faulkner is an American novelist whose major work is As I Lay Dying. Faulkner gave each of his characters traits that are expressed throughout the story. The reader is introduced to each character through their detailed and descriptive character traits. We are able to delve into the characters mind and see their personal and distinct traits. He did not tell us anything about the characters, but he takes us into the mind of each character to analyze what we see there. Even though these characters lead parallel lives we can see the total alienation and breakdown of the relationships between each other. Darl, Jewel, and Anse possess character traits that contribute to or cause the breakdown of their relationship. Anse†¦show more content†¦He even goes so far as to save money when he puts cement on Cash’s broken leg instead of paying for a doctor to put a cast on it. Also, to avoid being sued by Gillespie for Darl setting fire to his barn he has Darl sent to a mental asylum in Jackson. Furthermore, Faulkner demonstrates Anse’s selfishness with him not realizing that Jewel is the product of Addie’s affair. Anse is so self-absorbed that he has no clue that Addie had an affair or that Jewel is not is son. Anse is so useless and selfish he is almost dismissed as an individual. Anse views the flood and the fire as more crosses to bear before he can get his new teeth. He has no concern or regard with what the journey is doing to his children. His selfishness is also expressed when he says, â€Å" I don’t, won’t begrudge her.† (Faulkner 56). Anse forgives Addie for all the problems that she caused throughout the journey this moreover demonstrates his selfishness. Anse is constantly indebted to others, but he refuses to recognize his obligation and excuses himself with his comment, â€Å"I aint beholden.† (Faulkner 46). One would think that the death of his wife would bring him closer to his children but it does not. He only has one reason to complete the journey and that is to get his new teeth. Although, Anse is the most selfish he is the only one who succeeds in the novel. â€Å"Among other things we have the problem of how to view Anse and the fact that he is triumphant at the end, the only character who gainedShow MoreRelatedWriting Styles Of Ernest Faulkner And The Sun Also Rises By Earnest Hemingway And As I Lay Dying1528 Words   |  7 PagesPassudetti English 11 AP Period 5 21 November 2014 Writing Styles of Hemingway and Faulkner The style of an authors writing can often be the key to understanding the emotions and thoughts that they want to convey onto the reader. Sometimes the comparison of various authors can show how different styles of writing bring different events and characters into play. This is particularly true with the authors William Faulkner and Earnest Hemingway. 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