Style Mirrored in the Theme of as I Lay Dying

A.P. Literature

11/22/04

Style Mirrored in the theme of As I Lay Dying

William Faulkner in his book As I Lay Dying communicates the central theme of Independence to show his style of writing; Point of view. In As I lay Dying the theme is independence; of the family, of each character. Each of the characters independence is devised of their isolation and their individuality. In each characters chapter its their points of view, either if they are reliable or not, he shows what they are and converts it through the characters words and then to us. There are three passages in sequential order which show true isolation through their points of view are; Cora, Addie, Whitfield. These three characters have conflicts relation to one another, but each of their chapters they inform us more, while the other characters are oblivious to what really happened.

In the chapter of Cora (the wife of Tull, a religious woman in the area, who disapproves of Addie) she spends the finals hours of Addie’s life with her. There was a flashback to when they were having a conversation of religion, how Addie was judging rather then leaving it up to God. Addie was vain and proud of it, and