“As I Lay Dying”

Madness according to Merriam Webster Dictionary is a state of severe mental illness. In William Faulkners’ novel “As I Lay Dying” madness is primarily displayed through Darl Bundren. During the novel each chapter is told through the perspective of different characters. This allows the reader to see different possible views of Darl and his character. Darl is delusional and allows the reader to perceive him to be the good mediator. Although, when the same scenario is told in the perspective of another character there are many discrepancy’s in the stories. Darls’ madness was not noticeable until it is stated that he set fire to the barn, but it made sense due to the irregularities in behavior. It seems that once Darls illness was identified the novel began to rapidly unfold. It seems that their is shock that comes along with knowledge of Darls’ madness, contributing to the novel as a whole significantly.