When I first picked up As I Lay Dying, I was quite unsure of Mr. Mitchell's motives in selecting this novel as part of a class known as "The Hero's Journey". It didn't take me too long to see that there wasn't really anything heroic about the Bundren family or any of its members, at least at first thought. The Bundren family came across me to as one to be made fun of, not as one to be looked at as heroic, and even less so to be emulated.
Then however, once they started on the journey to bury Addie in town, some heroic traits started coming out in the Bundrens. First off, the fact that Anse is willing to dedicate the time and resources to such a journey are surprising in the first place. He doesn't really come across as someone who likes to work or do things, with his "condition" that will kill him if he sweats. The dedication that he would show by doing this in fair conditions would already be unexpected out of Anse. However, based on the inclement conditions and various problems that arise along the path of their journey, I was expecting Anse to give up at any moment. But the fact that he doesn't shows a sense of determination in Anse that I never expected.
Anse's dedication to Addie's burial wish is ironic in the fact that as we learn from Addie's narration, that she dislikes Anse, the Bundren family, and even her own family. She went off with Whitfield the minister to have an affair, more so to get away from Anse to anything. She even manages to hide the illegitimacy of her child Jewel from Anse. It seems that her burial wish is not to be buried with her family, but just to get away from what could be described as the "living hell" she's dealt with with the Bundrens.
The fact that Anse's dedication to Addie is not reciprocated makes the situation all the more ironic, and makes me see Anse as a hero, in a pitiful sense. While his determination is partially responsible for my opinion of Anse as being a hero, the fact that Anse does this for someone who hates him (though neither he nor anyone in As I Lay Dying knows this...) is heroic in a sense, because he's doing this task which takes away from more important things for someone that doesn't care about him. While those around Anse may not see it as heroic because they don't see Addie's view on the matter, I (and some other readers, probably) feel for Anse because he's doing it all for Addie, who wouldn't do anything for him.
I can see how Anse can be interpreted as the hero of " As I Lay Dying", but he's not the only competetor for that title. It could be argued that either Jewel or Cash could be heroes, for their acts of bravery throughout their journey help the Bundrens get to their final destiniation to burry Addie. I would consider either Jewel or Cash (but I'm leaning towards Jewel) as heroes, and Anse as the pittiful sidekick. But, Anse does have heroic moments.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Anse is more of a sidekick to Darl and Jewel's hero.
DeleteAnse isn't even really a sidekick. He's the one who starts and controls the journey, and he's the only one who comes out of it better off (except for Addie, since she wanted death?).
DeleteSpoiler Alert: Apart from he doesn't. He DOESN'T care for Addie. From this "trip", he messed up his entire family, and in exechange, he was the one that got everything. He got his false teeth, he got a new wife. He gets everything and everyone else gets screwed over. So he's not the hero, he is anything but the hero-- I label Anse as the villain of the story. All this happened for nothing (keep in mind, from Addie's little narration, I think that Addie doesn't care that these people are going this journey to bury her) everyone got messed up and Anse got everything. I don't know who the hero of the story is (for a while I thought it was Darl, but I'm sure that he is no longer the hero due to his terrifying actions) but according to me, Anse is the villain of the story.
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