As I Lay Dying -Title from part of a speech by the ghost of Agamemnon to Odysseus in the Kingdom of the Dead in Homer’s The Odyssey: “As I lay dying, the woman with the dog’s eyes would not close my eyes for me as I descended into Hades” -As I Lay Dying is an ironic inversion of the classic quest. In the Odyssey, the quest is just, sensical, and ends on a happy note, albeit bloody. In As I Lay Dying, the quest is pointless and destructive.

-1st novel to introduce Yoknapatawaha County, a fictional rendition of his native Lafayette County -Novel does away with unified perspective of a single narrator. Text is fragmented into 59 segments that are voiced from 15 different perspectives( successive interior monologues). Narrative style forces the reader to take an active part in constructing the story, which allows for multiple conflicting interpretations and insight into the psychology of the characters

Since language has its limitations, what a character thinks more relevant to the story than what the character says. Mute interaction demonstrates how characters are cut of from each other, which underscores a sense of isolation.

Things to look for Conflicting opinions and contradicting sides to the same story Changes in typeface: shift from “normal” to italics Check to see whose name is at the beginning of each section Take notes about characters / plot while reading and questions that arise as you read

Assignment # 1 Read sections 1-32 Questions need to be open ended, specific, and avoid plot and yes/no responses. You must have questions that focus on each of the following literary aspects: characterization, theme, symbolism, conflict, and imagery. Be sure to clearly label the category for each question. * Do not use Vardaman stating, “My mother is a fish.” Typed and 2 copies Assignment date is Nov. 16th