Role of Family in "As I Lay Dying"

Family plays a central role in William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, but not in the form that most readers would expect. When we think of family, what do we think of? Probably warm scenes, full of love and joy- Christmas, family dinners, birthday celebrations. So that is why when I began reading As I Lay Dying, it was a slap in the face when it comes to family values and expected family relations. It seems as if all of the family members hate each other or as if everyone if hiding something from one another; there is a serious lack of familial ties and affection. You would think that an event such as the death of a mother would bring a family closer, but instead it seems to do the opposite. It is evident from the first "chapter" that family members dislike each other as Darl and Jewel walk independently from each other, avoiding walking together like any other brothers would. This family hatred appears again later in a "chapter" in which Jewel goes off on a rant about Cash, disliking him because people like him and he is a successful carpenter. In any other family, a brother would be proud to see their brother doing well in life and being well-received by people. 

To anyone who has grown up in a traditional nuclear family, it is very strange to see how the Bundren family interacts with one another on a daily basis. I am eager to see how the Bundren family interacts during the long journey to Jefferson to bury Addie. Although I would like to be optimistic, I firmly believe that this trip will only worsen family relations as they encounter challenges. I think that the journey will only exacerbate familial relations and that secrets and other hidden truths will come out during this trip, leading to an even greater amount of tension. The fact that the novel offers the reader a full view of each protagonist's interior monologues will give us a "first row seat" to the action that is sure to come.