As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner - Analysis of Narrative Techniques and Social Context

Explore William Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying" in this 48-minute Yale University lecture from the course "Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Faulkner." Examine the novel's connection to the Great Depression in the South and analyze its narrative techniques through Bakhtin's concept of social dialects and Kermode's idea of narrative secrecy. Delve into the gradual revelation of two key secrets - Dewey Dell's pregnancy and Jewel's birth - through multiple narrators, each representing a distinct Southern dialect. Investigate the chronology, character portrayals, and the unique speech patterns of children in the novel. Gain insights into the moral responsibility of poor whites and the complex family dynamics portrayed in Faulkner's masterpiece.

- Chapter 1. The Odyssey and As I Lay Dying
.
- The Chronology of As I Lay Dying
.
- The Great Depression and Poor Whites
.
- Bakhtin and the Social Dialects of the Novel
.
- Chapter 5. Kermode and the Genesis of Secrets in As I Lay Dying
.
- Chapter 6. The Speaking Voice and Moral Responsibility of Poor Whites
.
- Chapter 7. Dewey Dell's Short Term Secret
.
- Chapter 8. Darl, Jewel, and Dewey Dell's Deep Rooted Secret
.
- Chapter 9. Dewey Dell's Portrait of Her Brothers
.
- Chapter 10. Vardaman and the Speech of Children
.