A Theme Of Sacrifice In As I Lay Dying By William Fulkner
The sacrifices that one makes, is one of the greatest forms of depicting a character. Often in some novels, characters who tend to sacrifice things tend to give up things that they hold dear to their hearts. Addie Bundren, from the novel As I Lay Dying by William Fulkner, is a really good example of how the sacrifice of one can showcase a characters true motive and goal. Although Addie was thought of by some as not being righteous, not understanding the true meaning of life, and selfish, in reality the sacrifices that Addie made were for others happiness, her family and lastly her happiness. Working with children although she did not like them as much and putting her life and career on hold for her husband, reveals Addie’s focus on making others happy and not rebelling against societal norms. The time she has sacrificed for her family reveals a lot about the family and Addie’s true self.
Initially, As I Lay Dying characterized Addie as a person who never really thought about herself and really did not understand life quite yet. Addie was the wife to Anse Bundren and mother to Cash, Vardaman, Darl, Dewel Dell and Jewel. This may seem like the perfect set up, but deep down was never Addie’s wish. Working as a schoolteacher, she enjoyed whipping her students. “Instead of going home I would go down the hill on the spring where I could be quiet and hate them” (Faulkner 169) reveals that Addie never really like children that much. It was clear at this point in the novel that Addie was probably not your usual candidate for motherhood in the first place. From the joy she gained by whipping her students, revealed the hate she had for children. Her sacrifice of time, in order to have a home to go to shows us readers that she would do anything for a decent living, even if she hated it. Although it seems like Addie had a lot of hate for children, she still had some on her own.
Meeting Anse seemed good at first, until she had her son Cash. She proceeded and had more children, basically sacrificing her time. Addie’s alone time was being taken away as said in this quote, “I knew that it had been, not that my loneliness had to be violated over and over each day, but that it had never been violated until Cash came. Not even by Anse at night.'' (Faulkner 172) Addie resented her choice of having children. However back then, the only purpose as a women were to produce offsprings. Sacrificing her freedom and independence, gave her no purpose to her life other than having babies. She never really wanted children, and having them in the first place was really just about her job as a wife. Even After Dewey Dell was born, she had Vardaman which was to replace the son she robbed from Anse. This is a clear example of her giving up her independence in order to please others. It was clear that Addie just wanted to be noticed. Feeling alone for the majority of her life, Addie was eager to make other people aware of her existence. Some may think that having children makes your life better and takes all the problems away, but to Addie it created a new problem. . She wanted to discover herself, but knew she was only seen as a mother. It was sad to witness, but because of the permanent attachment and link she had to these new beings she always felt that her “aloneness has been violated” (Faulkner 172). However, Addie did not only sacrifice her independence. Her marriage and family were sacrificed in order from her to find her happiness.
Addie not being able to be seen and not having the time to do what made her happy, led her to her affair with Whitefield. This was an act of rebellion against her role in the family as a mother and a wife. According to Addie though, it was revenge against Anse. By sacrificing her marriage and family, she felt the independence she may have never felt before. Addie did put her marriage in jeopardy when she decided to make this choice. Finding her happiness is obviously the most important factor throughout this section. She finally feels like someone and is doing things for herself. However the one time she does do something for her own sake, it ends in misery. The way she favors Jewels and tends to him, does put the relationship she has with her other children at risk. Favoring one child can turn other children away, therefore she sacrificed her relationship with her children in order to be there for Jewel. This is only because Jewel has no one but Addie. Addie has clearly sacrificed herself for her family in many ways.
In conclusion it seems that Addie sacrificed herself to care for her family. It is obvious she lived for her family, because after hearing about her death others expressed that she was finally free. Basically this suggested that her family or probably just Anse was nothing but a burden. She constantly lived for others. Working with children although she did not like them as much and putting her life and career on hold for her husband, revealed Addie’s focus on making others happy and not rebelling against societal norms. In the end she does get what she wants, which is her dying wish to be buried with her family in Jefferson. It may seem that Addie was a quiet figure in this book, but she was the glue to the family because without her everything fell apart. The sacrifices Addie made benefited but also drew back her relationship with the characters in the novel. However, all of Addie’s choices and decisions were for a greater cause.
