As I Lay Dying
Chapter 1 of 27 Part 1 - Darl
- Running time
- 6 h 25 min
- Language
- English
- Read by
- John Greenman
Chapters
About this recording
Addie Bundren's declining health and eventual death prompt her impoverished family to honor her wish to be buried in Jefferson, Mississippi. In the beginning, Addie is alive but deteriorating, watching her son Cash construct her coffin while her husband Anse waits on the porch and daughter Dewey Dell fans her. Following Addie's death, a heavy rainstorm floods the rivers, destroying the bridges necessary to reach Jefferson.
William Faulkner employs 15 different points of view throughout the novel, with each chapter narrated by a different character, including Addie, who shares her thoughts posthumously. The 59 chapters, each named after their narrator, gradually flesh out the characters through their perceptions, with Darl's perspective being particularly dominant.
Narrative Structure
The novel utilizes a unique experimental style:
Multiple Perspectives: 15 different narrators share their perceptions across 59 chapters.
Posthumous Voice: Addie herself narrates a chapter after her death.
Dominant Voice: While the perspective shifts, the son Darl serves as the primary narrator, providing the most frequent insight into the family's psyche.
The information from the following list comes…