Honestly, at this point in the novel, Vardaman is my favorite character. I know we talked about this book is supposed to be a “dark comedy” and many of us didn’t really agree. However after thinking about it, I would have to say the only time I see this book as a comedy would be in Vardaman's chapters.
Right after Vardaman finds out his mother dies, it is a very sad moment in the book. However, the in the next chapter after Addie’s death one of the first things Vardaman says is “the trees look like chickens when they ruffle out into the cool dust on the hot days” on page 53. Although I don’t really get a clear sense in what he is trying to say most of the time, that is what I find funny about him. His randomness in the way he thinks (probably because he is like 6) is what makes this book interesting to me and can’t wait for the next Vardaman chapter.
“My mother is a fish”
Is another perfect example of how I find Vardaman's spontaneity weird but funny, although this comedy is obviously overshadowed by the dark aspect of Addie’s death. Obviously, I would say he is the most traumatized character from Addie’s death and it clearly shows. Any little kid would do the same- if you really think about it we are reading from a little kid’s perspective when we read the book. Anyways, going back to how Vardaman refers to his mother as a fish. When he caught the fish and then after it was cooked, he kept relating the chopped up fish to his dead mother saying things like "it (the fish) was there and now it's not" just like his mother. Once the family ate the fish, he goes on to say things like how their mother is a part of them now that they all ate the fish.
Vardaman continues to act spontaneous and crazy when he then later pokes holes in his mother's coffin, impaling her and then blaming the doctor and his horses for the death of his mother.
Overall, some could find some humor in this book through Vardaman, however for me, the dark aspects of the novel so far completelyover shadow the "funny" aspect of the book.
Vardaman continues to act spontaneous and crazy when he then later pokes holes in his mother's coffin, impaling her and then blaming the doctor and his horses for the death of his mother.
Overall, some could find some humor in this book through Vardaman, however for me, the dark aspects of the novel so far completelyover shadow the "funny" aspect of the book.
I've also decided that Vardaman is my favorite character. There's something comedic about him; much like how young children seem amusing in real life. The words they choose to say, how they decide to show their feelings, etc. Everything seems more authentic, simple yet deep, and honest. He says what he feels, he describes what sees; there is no trying to make things complicated, I feel like he is just trying to get his feelings out in a way that might not make sense to me, but I know makes sense to him. It's so interesting because I definitely see Vardaman's character in real life, as I babysit kids around his age. They all seem to possess a comedic trait that comes just from being brutally honest and creative.
ReplyDeleteahaha yeah Rima I agree with your observations about Vardaman. A lot of the stuff he says seems like it doesn't make much sense, but probably to 6 year old him, it makes sense. I think his chapters do a nice job of reflecting on the dark aspects of the book, while also adding a light touch to it all. The confusion in his lines, to us, adds a little bit of humor and sense of lightness, as opposed to other characters who really know what their talking about and tries to make that clear to us. I think the Vardaman chapters here and there and I feel like it adds a little more something special to the story.
ReplyDeleteVardaman's trees-as-chickens metaphor is actually one of his most lucid moments in all his narration--I can picture exactly what he means here, how leaves "puff out" when wind moves through a large tree, and the shape of the trees and the effect of the leaves does suggest a chicken puffing out its feathers. It's a remarkable point, how the little boy--the one most emotionally affected by Addie's death, or at least the one we're most automatically sympathetic to--is oddly a source of comedy in these dark moments. I think this has a lot to do with Faulkner giving him his own voice, letting him narrate in his own crazy, semi-coherent way. "My mother is a fish" is one of the most famous lines from this novel, and it nicely reflects both a totally wacky attempt at metaphor and ALSO a child's desperate grasping to try to comprehend what is happening with his mother and his family at this time.
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