13. Faulkner -- As I Lay Dying

In this monologue podcast, the speaker delves into William Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying," exploring the historical and literary context of the novel's title, drawing parallels to Homer's Odyssey and Greek tragedies. The discussion covers Faulkner's personal life during the writing period, including his marriage and the backdrop of the Great Depression, and contrasts the novel's portrayal of poverty with iconic images of the era. The speaker introduces critical theories from Bakhtin and Kermode to analyze the novel's narrative structure, focusing on social dialects and the role of secrets within the text, and examines specific passages to illustrate Faulkner's experimental use of language and the complex relationships within the Bundren family.