"Research Paper for As I Lay Dying"
             The things people say and do are often bold illustrations of their values. In his 1950 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, William Faulkner said, "The young man or woman writing today has forgotten the problems of the human heart in the conflict with itself which alone can make good writing, because only that is worth writing about, worth the agony and sweat"(Faulkner). This statement allows Faulkner's readers to see that the author really believes in the morals and values that he instills in his characters of "As I Lay Dying." This novel, published in 1930, is a story about a southern family whose "journey to Jefferson is fraught with perils of fire and flood (from the rain-swollen Yoknapatawpha River) as well as the family members' inner feelings of grief and loss" (Padgett). Dr. Adam Frost, a renowned Faulkner biographer stated that Faulkner "was obsessed with voice ... often using interior monologues to bring his characters to life." These interior narrations emphasize what is really important to the novelist. Faulkner's obsession is evident in his novel "As I Lay Dying" through his emphasis on the values of hospitality, hard work, and self- sacrifice, as well as his portrayal of the feelings of isolation and regret in this tale of the Bundren's family journey across the Mississippi countryside to bury their beloved deceased wife and mother, Addie.
             First and foremost, hospitality is a trait that the author illustrates in many ways. Time and time again the Bundren family needs a place to stay or a bite to eat along the way. The character Armstid is a narrator that the Bundrens impose upon shortly after they lose their team in the river. Even though Addie's body has been dead for days, and Armstid's wife is yelling at him about the smell, Armstid still offers help and hospitality to the entire fa...