When a Mother Lays Dying or The Creative Power of Words: A Pragmatic Analysis of Addie's Section in William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying

Ineke Bockting

Abstract :
International audience
William Faulkner' s modernist dismissal of surface appearances in favor of deeper psychological realities-"the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself'-forms a clear link with the Freudian personality construct. After exploring this "Freudian connection," this essay discusses Faulkner's fictional mothers-especially the powerful mother Addie Bundren in the nove! As I Lay Dying. lt shows that through the text she "speaks," this woman not only creates her own personality, but actually forms a decisive factor in the creation of the personalities of her children. The essay also includes a few observations on Faulkner' s relationship with his own mother.
Published : 2018-05
Document Type : Journal articles
Affiliation : Religion, Culture et Société ; Institut Catholique de Paris (ICP)
Source : hal-03170611

Citation

Ineke Bockting, « When a Mother Lays Dying or The Creative Power of Words: A Pragmatic Analysis of Addie's Section in William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying », Cycnos, 2018-05. URL : https://hal.science/hal-03170611