Black Comedy in As I Lay Dying
Black comedy is comedy that is sarcastic and/or makes fun of persons, places, or situations. It is an important element of "As I Lay Dying" which adds not only a touch of humor, but also aids the reader in recognizing the highly irrational thinking of the Bundrens. Black comedy points out the disheveled logic of their thoughts through humourous outcomes. The opening gives a clear visualization of Cash working towards perfection on his mother's coffin. Cash expends an incredible amount of time in measuring the wood, cutting perfect angles, aligning corners, sanding the rough edges, making sure it is perfect right down to the last square inch. William Faulkner takes this perfected coffin and throws it into a flaming furnace through the misadventures of the Bundrens. The first encounter with the new coffin comes shortly after it has been finished. Vardaman enters the scene with an auger and his mind set on boring air-holes for his dead mother. It was not her because it was laying right yonder in the dirt. And no it's all chopped up. I chopped it up. It's laying in the kitchen in the bleeding pan, waiting to be cooked and et. Then it wasn't and she was, and now it is and she wasn't. And tomorrow it will be cooked and et and sh
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Dewey Dell, Anse Bundren, DrPeabody Anse, Addie Bundren's, Vernon Tull's, William Faulkner, Addie's Bundren's, Cash We'll, Jewel Vardaman, Bundrens Black, black comedy, anse bundren, dewey dell, broken leg, wagon broken, course anse, wagon broken leg, dead mother, cooked et, william faulkner, woman total, addie bundren's body, laying wagon broken,
Approximate Word count = 1835
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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