Yay or Nay
In As I Lay Dying , William Faulkner tells the story in a way that breaks the rules of the heroes journey. The book jumps between characters’ thoughts, scrambles the order of events, and often leaves out or twists important details. Because of this fragmented style, it’s hard to say the story fits the hero’s journey, which, as Wikipedia describes, is a common story pattern where one main hero goes on an adventure, faces challenges, and returns transformed. Adding to this unconventional approach, Faulkner famously wrote the entire novel “in six weeks without changing a word” (Faulkner 264). This quick and unpolished process suggests that Faulkner wasn’t concerned with carefully planning or revising the story to fit a traditional structure. Instead, he seemed more focused on capturing emotions and the messy, chaotic perspectives of his characters. With its unique style and quick writing process, As I Lay Dying...
