20-minute plan
- List the 7 core Bundren family members and one defining action for each
- Circle 2 characters whose motivations directly conflict, and note their opposing goals
- Draft one discussion question that ties this conflict to a core novel theme
Keyword Guide · character-analysis
Characters in As I Lay Dying: Study Guide for Analysis & Essays
William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying uses multiple character narrators to tell a fragmented story of a family's journey to bury their matriarch. Each character’s voice reveals their private motivations, flaws, and ties to the novel’s core themes. This guide gives you concrete tools to analyze these voices for class, quizzes, and essays.
As I Lay Dying’s cast centers on the Bundren family, with each member and secondary character serving as a unique narrative lens. The core characters include Addie, the deceased matriarch whose wish drives the plot, and her husband and five children, each with distinct, often self-serving, agendas. Secondary characters highlight the community’s judgment and the family’s isolation from broader society.
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Answer Block
Each character in As I Lay Dying acts as both a plot driver and a thematic vessel. The Bundrens’ individual voices expose the gap between public duty and private desire, while secondary characters underscore the novel’s focus on rural Southern culture and morality. No single character provides a reliable, objective view of events.
Next step: List each core Bundren character and jot down one specific action they take that reveals their primary motivation.
Key Takeaways
- Every character’s narrative voice reflects their unspoken fears or obsessions
- Secondary characters amplify the Bundren family’s dysfunction through external judgment
- Addie’s posthumous presence shapes every character’s choices throughout the novel
- Character analysis in this novel requires tracking narrative bias across multiple voices
20-Minute Plan and 60-Minute Plan
60-minute plan
- Map each core character’s primary motivation to a specific event in the novel
- Compare 3 secondary characters’ reactions to the Bundrens’ journey to identify a shared community attitude
- Write a 3-sentence thesis that links one character’s arc to the novel’s exploration of morality
- Create a mini-outline with two pieces of textual evidence to support your thesis
3-Step Study Plan
Action: Read 3 consecutive chapters with different narrators
Output: A 1-page chart linking each narrator’s word choice to their core trait
Action: Identify two key conflicts between family members
Output: A bullet list of how each character’s motivation fuels the conflict
Action: Link one character’s journey to a major novel theme
Output: A 2-sentence analysis paragraph for essay or discussion use
Discussion Kit
- Which core Bundren character’s motivation feels the most relatable, and why?
- How do secondary characters reveal the community’s view of the Bundrens’ journey?
- In what ways does Addie’s posthumous presence influence the living characters’ choices?
- Which character’s narrative voice is the least reliable, and what evidence supports this?
- How does one character’s personal goal clash with the family’s stated duty to Addie?
- What does the contrast between two characters’ attitudes reveal about the novel’s themes?
- Use one character’s action to explain how Faulkner portrays rural Southern morality
- If you could add one narrator outside the Bundren family, who would you choose and why?
Essay Kit
Thesis Templates
- While [Character Name] claims to act out of loyalty to Addie, their choices reveal a deeper obsession with [personal goal], exposing the novel’s critique of performative morality.
- The conflicting motivations of [Character 1] and [Character 2] highlight Faulkner’s exploration of [core theme] through the fragmented lens of the Bundren family’s journey.
Outline Skeletons
- 1. Introduction: Hook about narrative voice, thesis linking character motivation to theme; 2. Body 1: Analyze character’s stated goal and textual evidence; 3. Body 2: Expose character’s unspoken motivation and textual evidence; 4. Conclusion: Tie analysis to novel’s broader commentary on family and duty
- 1. Introduction: Thesis about conflicting character goals and thematic significance; 2. Body 1: Break down first character’s motivations and actions; 3. Body 2: Break down second character’s motivations and actions; 4. Body 3: Analyze how their conflict advances the novel’s core theme; 5. Conclusion: Restate thesis and connect to larger literary context
Sentence Starters
- Unlike other Bundren family members, [Character Name] prioritizes [action] over the family’s collective duty, which shows that
- Secondary character [Character Name]’s reaction to the Bundrens’ journey reveals that the community views the family as
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Exam Kit
Checklist
- I can name all 7 core Bundren family members
- I can link each core character to a distinct motivation
- I can explain how narrative voice reflects character bias
- I can connect 2 secondary characters to community themes
- I can identify one key conflict between two core characters
- I can draft a clear thesis about character and theme
- I can cite specific character actions to support analysis
- I can distinguish between a character’s stated and unspoken goals
- I can explain Addie’s posthumous influence on living characters
- I can outline a short analysis paragraph for essay questions
Common Mistakes
- Treating character narrators as reliable sources of objective truth
- Focusing only on core characters and ignoring secondary characters’ thematic role
- Confusing a character’s stated goal with their actual motivation
- Failing to link character actions to the novel’s broader themes
- Overgeneralizing about the Bundren family without evidence from specific character voices
Self-Test
- Name two core Bundren characters whose motivations directly conflict, and briefly explain why
- How does narrative voice shape your understanding of one specific Bundren character?
- What role do secondary characters play in highlighting the novel’s themes?
How-To Block
Action: Review each character’s key actions and narrative observations
Output: A 1-word trait for each core character, paired with a specific supporting action
Action: Connect each character’s trait to a major novel theme (e.g., duty, mortality, identity)
Output: A 1-sentence link between character, trait, and theme for each core character
Action: Combine two linked character-theme pairs to create a comparative analysis
Output: A 3-sentence paragraph ready for essay or discussion use
Rubric Block
Character Identification & Trait Analysis
Teacher looks for: Accurate, specific traits tied to concrete character actions, not vague generalizations
How to meet it: Avoid phrases like 'he is selfish'; instead, write 'his choice to [specific action] reveals a self-serving focus on [goal]'
Thematic Connection
Teacher looks for: Clear links between character actions or traits and the novel’s broader themes
How to meet it: Explicitly state how a character’s behavior supports or critiques a theme like duty or mortality
Narrative Voice Awareness
Teacher looks for: Recognition of how each character’s biased perspective shapes the reader’s understanding
How to meet it: Note specific word choices or omissions in a character’s narration that reveal their bias
Core Bundren Family Characters
The Bundren family forms the novel’s core, with each member narrating sections from their biased perspective. Addie, the deceased matriarch, drives the plot through her final wish, while her husband and five children each pursue their own hidden agendas alongside the family’s journey. List each core family member and their primary visible motivation, then note one unspoken desire that may be driving their choices.
Secondary Characters’ Role
Secondary characters in the novel serve as a foil to the Bundrens, highlighting the community’s judgment and the family’s isolation. These characters provide external perspectives on the Bundrens’ unusual journey, often revealing gaps between the family’s public duty and private actions. Pick two secondary characters and compare their reactions to the Bundrens to identify a shared community attitude.
Narrative Voice & Bias
No single character in As I Lay Dying provides an objective view of events. Each narrator’s voice is filtered through their own fears, obsessions, and limited understanding of the world. Use this before class discussion: Choose one character’s narration and identify one detail they omit that another narrator emphasizes, then explain how this reveals their bias.
Character-Driven Themes
Every character’s choices tie back to the novel’s core themes of duty, mortality, and identity. A character’s prioritization of personal gain over family duty, for example, critiques the idea of performative morality. Use this before essay drafts: Link one character’s key action to a specific theme, and draft a 2-sentence analysis paragraph to use as a body section.
Common Analysis Pitfalls
A frequent mistake in analyzing these characters is treating their narration as fact, rather than a biased perspective. Another error is overgeneralizing about the entire Bundren family without acknowledging individual differences. Write down one analysis you’ve previously drafted, and check for these two common mistakes.
Applying Analysis to Exams & Essays
For exam questions or essay prompts, focus on specific character actions rather than vague traits. Teachers value analysis that links behavior to theme, not just description of a character’s personality. Practice drafting a 1-sentence answer to a hypothetical exam question that ties a character’s action to a core theme.
Who are the main characters in As I Lay Dying?
The main characters are the Bundren family: Addie (the deceased matriarch), her husband Anse, and their five children. Secondary characters include rural community members who interact with the family during their journey.
How many narrators are there in As I Lay Dying?
The novel features multiple narrators, including each core Bundren family member and several secondary characters. Exact counts can vary based on how sections are categorized, but focus on each narrator’s unique voice rather than a specific number.
What is the most important character in As I Lay Dying?
Addie, the deceased matriarch, is the central figure despite being dead before the novel’s main action. Her final wish drives the plot, and every living character’s choices are shaped by their relationship to her.
How do I analyze a character’s narrative voice in As I Lay Dying?
Track the narrator’s word choices, omissions, and focus. Note how their perspective skews events to highlight their own fears, desires, or obsessions, rather than presenting an objective view.
Editorial note: This page is independently written for educational support. Verify specifics with assigned class materials and the original text.
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