As I Lay Dying: A Journey Without a Hero
William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying has an ambiguous relation to the hero's journey. Campbell’s traditional model of the journey follows a linear path and centers on a definitive main character, with specific steps delineating the hero’s progress. As I Lay Dying includes very few of these attributes, as it follows a fragmented narrative, impartially displays multiple characters’ perspectives, and fails to adhere to the steps laid out by Campbell. However, the most notable departure from the traditional journey is the lack of a main character—the lack of a hero. There are several arguments to be made about the heroism of various members of the Bundren family, however each character ultimately falls short of the attributes necessary for classification as a hero. The first character with hero potential is Anse. When looking exclusively at behavior, Anse seems like a very unlikely candidate for classification as a hero. He is lazy, unaccountable, apathetic, unnurturing towards his chil...