Blog 4

            In "As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner, the narrative style is characterized by many literary techniques that challenge traditional storytelling conventions by mixing up the chronology of events and removing developments in the story. Despite this unconventional approach, it’s still possible to decipher the narrative pattern of the hero's journey within the novel. The changing of perspectives throughout the novel also helps to show the different journeys of all of the main characters.

The narrative pattern of the hero's journey is evident in "As I Lay Dying" through the call to adventure and crossing the threshold. The Bundren family embarks on a journey to transport their deceased mother, Addie, to her burial place. This call to adventure serves as the trigger for the entire narrative. The family members are summoned to confront their individual challenges and selfish motives in order to undergo personal transformations. As they leave their home and “venture into the unknown” on the way to Jefferson, the journey itself becomes a threshold that separates their ordinary lives from the unique experiences they encounter along the way. The crossing of this threshold marks a significant turning point in the story, propelling the characters into a world of trials and self-discovery. It is through this call to adventure and crossing of the threshold that the hero's journey begins in the story.

The hero's journey also always involves a road of trials, and all of the characters are replete with such challenges. The Bundren family encounters physical difficulties, including the flooded river, the deteriorating condition of Addie's corpse, and Cash’s mangled leg. These external obstacles test their resilience and determination to complete their mission. Additionally, and perhaps even more importantly, the characters face internal conflicts, as each individual wrestles with their own desires. The fragmented narrative style (how each chapter is told by a different family member) allows Faulkner to go deeper into the characters' thoughts and emotions, providing readers with insight into the inner trials they face. By presenting their internal struggles, Faulkner highlights the transformative nature of the hero's journey and the personal growth that occurs through adversity. The trials faced by the characters are integral to their hero's journey, pushing them to confront their limitations and evolve.

While there is no explicit step of Campbell’s journey dedicated to this, gaining wisdom is another critical element of the family’s journey, and this is evident through the interior monologues of the characters. Faulkner uses stream-of-consciousness passages in italics to give us access to the characters' minds, revealing their hopes and fears. These moments greatly contribute to their personal growth and self-discovery. For example, Darl gains a deeper understanding of the sophistication of life through his contemplative monologues. Through the split narrative style, Faulkner explores the depths of human consciousness and presents a more nuanced portrayal of the hero's journey, emphasizing the characters' subjective experiences and the multifaceted nature of their journey. I will say that I thought his interjections were completely random at first, but after reading the story in full, they made much more sense.

One of the last steps in the monomyth is crossing the return threshold. In "As I Lay Dying," the characters undergo significant changes as a result of their journey. They are confronted with their own mortality, their relationships with one another, and their sense of identity. The transformative nature of the journey is reflected in the characters' evolving perspectives and priorities. While the return to their original state is not explicitly portrayed in the novel, the experiences they undergo during the journey undoubtedly leave a noticeable mark on their personality and their emotions. Faulkner did well capturing the characters' internal transformations and I think he left room for interpretation and reflection on what happens in their eventual return.

In conclusion, while the narrative of "As I Lay Dying" may be fragmented and nonlinear, the overarching structure of the hero's journey stays intact. The novel may exclude some developments in the story, but I think this emphasizes the characters' experiences and the multifaceted nature of their journey. The writing style allows Faulkner to present a more nuanced portrayal of the hero's journey, something that a lot of stories fall short of. Through the challenges faced by the family, their personal growth, and moments of reflection, Faulkner presents a transformative journey that resonates with the themes and motifs of the hero's journey archetype while not falling into the same cookie-cutter style that many other novels do.