Darls Struggle for belonging
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Darl's Struggle for Belonging
As I Lay Dying, written in 1930 by William Faulkner, is the tale of a family's struggle to fulfill their mother's dying will. Addie curses her family with her dying wish by asking that they take her body to Jefferson when she passes. The Bundrens are a varied family with mixed emotions about the death of their mother, Addie. Throughout the novel each character has a different reaction to the death of Addie and each is appropriately based on his or her relationship with Addie in life. Darl, the second oldest son, has mixed emotions about the death of his mother and, throughout the story, his interactions with the other characters help expose his feelings in great detail in such a short period of time.
"Like father like son" is an appropriate saying in the case of Darl and Anse. Throughout the novel Anse is depicted as the type of character that every household is afraid of having. As noted in Barron's Booknotes on the novel, "A lazy man, he has convinced himself that if he sweats he will die" (Oatman). The lack of a bond between Darl and Anse is extremely evident. The fact of the matter is that the two men do not have a relationship at all...