As I Lay Dying Essays: The Dysfunctional Family :: As I Lay Dying Essays

After reading As I Lay Dying, I was untune by something. It wasnt the plot, although As I Lay Dying had a singularly bizarre storyline. During the action of the novel a mother dies, and her family embarks upon a adventure ridden journey in order to fulfill her goal wishes. The eldest discussion breaks his leg, the family has to sell or mortgage practically all its worldly goods, and grace risks his life twice in order to get his mothers body to Jefferson. wherefore has Disney not snatched up the film making rights to this singular testament to Bundren familys make out and dedication? The answer, and the source of my discomfort, is that the Bundren family is awful. They are al almost completely and totally defunct. The position that there is next to no mourning following Addies death, the most basic tribute a family can give, is only the tip of the iceberg of selfishness which seems to dispose the Bundren family. The trip to Jefferson, a journey which under other circumstan ces could be seen as a familys noble tribute to a fallen matriarch, was ruin by the selfish motives of most of the family for undertaking the expedition. Dewey Dell wanted to go to get an abortion. Vardaman wanted to go to get some bananas. Anse wanted to go to get a new set of teeth. Cash wanted to barter for a record player. Not only were the motives selfish, but they were utterly transparent. The Bundrens inhabit Tull expresses the absurdity of the situation best when he said, They would risk the fire and the globe and the water and all just to eat a sack of bananas. (p. 140) Indeed, the last images of the Bundrens as a family (minus Darl) are of them eating bananas out of a sack, and academic term around a record player at home. There were 2 members of the family, however, with no ulterior motives for going into town. Jewel and Darl seem to have no object in getting to town other than the burial of Addie Bundren. both(prenominal) Darl and Jewel have special connections w ith their mother. It is tempting to draw the conclusion that Darl love his mother the most. He narrated the majority of the chapters in the novel, and as readers we grow most accustomed to his voice. Cora Tull is certainly under impression that Darl loves his mother the most when she says, it was amongst her and Darl that the true understanding and the true love was.