William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying is dark, gruesome, and somewhat comedic portrayal of a southern family who has to travel across the countryside to bury their dead mother. Faulkner uses each character's point of view in different chapters to tell the story. In doing so, Faulkner gives us an insight on who each character is as well as showing us how the world that we live in is nothing more than the way we perceive it to be. At least one critic has argued that As I lay Dying is "the bitterest of Faulkner's early novels... presenting human existence as an absurd joke." Where as others argue that the novel is "a triumph of fraternal feeling...a comic novel rooted in the earth and country folk and lighted by a new faith in humanity." Both of these arguments, although opposites, can be shown throughout the course of this novel. As I Lay Dying conveys a conflicting message, causing the reader to think about how he or she portrays his or her own life. The reason that As I Lay Dying is a triumph of fraternal feeling, and lighted by a new faith in humanity, is because of the harsh circumstances in which the family must pull through in order to show feeling.

Darl doesn't like Jewel. He urges his father to let him and Jewel go on one last run to sell something and get three dollars. Darl does this because he knows that his mother is going to die. He does this so that Jewel cannot be with his mother when she dies. Darl deliberately takes Jewel away from his dying mother. Darl says this about Jewel: "He stoops among us above it, two of the eight hands. In his face the blood goes in waves. In between them his flesh is greenish looking, about that mouth, thick, pale green of cow's cud; his face suffocated, furious, his lip lifted upon his teeth. "Pick up!" he says..."(Faulkner 97). To describe ones own brother in these terms in not so nice. This depicts Darl's disliking for Jewel. Every time we get a chapter from Darl, he has something to say about Jewel, either he is tormenting him about who is father is or if he's just being mean. Near the end of the book we run into a scene where Jewel upsets a man along the road, who pulls out a knife. "'What did you say?' he says. 'Here,' I[Darl] say. When I touch him he swings at the man. I grasp his arm; we struggle. Jewel has never looked at me. He is trying to free his arm. When I see the man again he has an open knife in his hand. 'Hold up, mister,' I say; 'I've got him. Jewel,'..."(Faulkner 230). Darl protects Jewel. What is this all about? Why does Darl stop Jewel from getting himself into a situation that could be harmful to him? Throughout all the hatred that Darl has for Jewel, the bonds of brotherhood, and the goodness of humanity shine through him, telling him that he must protect Jewel.

Jewel is a quiet person. He is a son to Addie, but not to Anse. He is the product of an affair that Addie had with the pastor, Whitfield. Faulkner does not tell us that Jewel knows who is father is, but he does tell us that Jewel knows that it is not Anse. This causes Jewel to be more of an outcast to the family. "I told him not to bring that horse out of respect for his dead ma"(Faulkner 105), says Anse when Jewel wants to take his horse to Jefferson. Jewel takes the horse anyway. This horse, which Jewel spent months of late nights working for, is Jewel's prize possession. After the incident at the river, the family needs to gather a new team of mules to lead their wagon, and their dead mother, to Jefferson. Anse borrows Jewel's horse to ride down to Snopes' place to buy a team. When Anse returns we find out that he has made a deal, he traded Jewel's horse. Jewel does not take this information lightly, ""Jewel stands with his hands on h

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1730
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)