90 pages 3 hours read

William Faulkner

As I Lay Dying

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1930

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Introduction

Teacher Introduction

As I Lay Dying

  • Genre: Modernist Fiction; Southern Gothic
  • Originally Published: 1930
  • Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 870L; College/Adult
  • Structure/Length: Novel divided into sections narrated by different characters over 59 chapters; approx. 261 pages; approx. 6 hours and 51 minutes on audiobook
  • Protagonist/Central Conflict: As I Lay Dying is a classic modernist novel by William Faulkner that delves into the lives of the Bundren family as they embark on a journey to bury their deceased mother, Addie, in her hometown. The central conflict revolves around the family’s arduous and emotionally charged journey through the harsh Mississippi countryside, each member dealing with their own inner turmoil and personal motivations. The novel is renowned for its multiple narrators; each one provides a unique perspective on the family’s journey, revealing their complex and often dysfunctional relationships. Faulkner’s storytelling explores themes of death, family, identity, and the human condition in this rich and challenging narrative.
  • Potential Sensitivity Issues: Death, grief, family dysfunction, sexual abuse, the mutilation of a corpse, and Southern Gothic elements

William Faulkner, Author

  • Bio: Born 1897; died 1962; American author and Nobel laureate known for his contributions to modernist literature and his exploration of the American South; celebrated for novels that often feature intricate narrative structures and complex characters
  • Other Works: The Sound and the Fury (1929); Sanctuary (1931); Light in August (1932); Absalom, Absalom! (1936); Intruder in the Dust (1949)

Related Titles

By William Faulkner

Study Guide

logo

Absalom, Absalom

William Faulkner

Absalom, Absalom

William Faulkner

Study Guide

logo

A Fable

William Faulkner

A Fable

William Faulkner

Study Guide

logo

A Rose for Emily

William Faulkner

A Rose for Emily

William Faulkner

Study Guide

logo

Barn Burning

William Faulkner

Barn Burning

William Faulkner

Study Guide

logo

Dry September

William Faulkner

Dry September

William Faulkner

Plot Summary

logo

Go Down, Moses

William Faulkner

Go Down, Moses

William Faulkner

Study Guide

logo

Intruder In The Dust

William Faulkner

Intruder In The Dust

William Faulkner

Study Guide

logo

Light in August

William Faulkner

Light in August

William Faulkner

Study Guide

logo

Sanctuary

William Faulkner

Sanctuary

William Faulkner

Plot Summary

logo

Spotted Horses

William Faulkner

Spotted Horses

William Faulkner

Plot Summary

logo

That Evening Sun

William Faulkner

That Evening Sun

William Faulkner

Study Guide

logo

The Bear

William Faulkner

The Bear

William Faulkner

Study Guide

logo

The Hamlet

William Faulkner

The Hamlet

William Faulkner

Plot Summary

logo

The Reivers

William Faulkner

The Reivers

William Faulkner

Plot Summary

logo

The Unvanquished

William Faulkner

The Unvanquished

William Faulkner