In class we have been talking about if Anse is the hero in the book As I Lay Dying. In my opinion, I think it is an easy no. Anse so far has been portraying anything BUT hero life qualities. The first chapter he narrates we get to see in his eyes and see what he’s really thinking. The first thing that really struck me was that Anse didn’t even bother to call Peabody the doctor until it was too late, and after he called him he then complains that he has to pay for him now. Honestly, a heroic character in my eyes would try to do anything to save his wife, even if he knows it’s pointless. Instead, Anse’s attitude toward Addie dying is pretty much “it's inevitable so there's really nothing I can do and nothing I will do”.
In this same chapter we see Anse’s quality that is always portrayed whenever we see him: he is ALWAYS complaining about his life and what he has to do. He always talks about how is the man with the least luck and how everything bad always happens to him. Instead of doing anything about it, he just complains and is also portrayed as a lazy man in the book - two qualities you never see in heros. Even when they are in their journey to town to bury Addie, he still complains about things like Jewel taking his horse and how his sons are “acting up”.
This brings up another point why I think Anse is not a heroic character in as I lay Dying: the entire journey to bury Addie. Anse has made it hims mission to bury Addie with her people because it was her dying wish. As I do believe that is completely honorable (honorable not necessarily heroic) that is completely overshadowed by the fact that he has ulterior motives for wanting to go to town. He wants new teeth. As I think that is a completely legitimate reason to go into town, why hasn’t he just gone on a completely different occasion? Or on another trip? This leads me to think that a large reason Anse is desperate to go to town is for his own reasons not Addie’s. Even one of the first things he says right after Addie dies is “Now I can get dem teeth”- completely unhonorable and not heroic at all. This is why no matter all the hardships Anse is going through during the journey, he is still making the journey for his purpose and slightly Addie’s. From what I read so far, if Anse already has a full set of teeth and didn’t have any reason to go into town, I think that he would have stopped already and buried Addie with his people.
On the other hand, all the obstacles they have faced on the journey, Anse is probably the least affected by them. A good example of this is when he had to get some new mules. Although he did give some of his teeth money, he still gave away Cash’s money and Jewel’s horse without their permission. Even though they are family and Anse is their dad, well Cash’s biological dad at least, he still had no right to steal their stuff away from them. No hero would do that in my eye, it would have just been more honorable if just asked.
So no, I don’t think Anse is the hero in the book As I Lay Dying, and I still am trying to figure out who is.
I totally agree, Anse seems to be anything but a hero at this point. At first what really shocked me was how apathetic he seemed when Addie passed away. Now that I have read the chapter narrated from Addie's point of view I can now see why. Addie and Anse seemed to be in a rather unloving relationship. Neither one seemed to care about the other or their children so that's why there seems to be this lack of camaraderie and cohesiveness within the family. They just live together and seem to share minimal bonds.
ReplyDeleteFor the lazy man quality of a hero, we may have not yet seen the improved Anse. Smithy started as a lazy man, but by the end of the story he had changed. I think we can't really make conclusive assumptions until we have finished the book, but I agree that right now he seems completely unheroic.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I don't think of Anse as heroic either. Although regarding the teeth thing: it could be interpreted as Anse doing the usual, entertaining his self-interested train of thought. It could also be interpreted as him getting too worked up over Addie and then having to repress his emotions by thinking about selfish things. Either way, the thing I find the most problematic isn't the fact that he has ulterior motives for going to Jefferson, but that he gets angry at Cash for having them too. And Cash's motives aren't even that bad? He just wants to work, which benefits other people and gets the Bundrens funds. Like, wow. Talk about hypocrisy.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that Anse is not a hero. Even though we have nearly finished the book at this point, my opinion of Anse has not changed at all. He continues to show his laziness, selfishness, etc with all of his actions and words. I would be willing to forgive some of his negative characteristics if he had other more respectable and heroic qualities, but he doesn't. I think that his sons display much more heroic qualities than Anse himself, although they have their own flaws as well. If I had to choose someone as a hero in this book, I would choose Darl, Jewel, or Cash, but definitely not Anse.
ReplyDeleteWhat shook me up the most and convinced me that Anse wasn't a hero was everyone's reaction to his journey. The wives were unanimously against Anse, and even Peabody calls him out -- quite viciously. To be honest, Peabody was just putting into words what I'd been thinking the whole novel.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you. When there seems to be a really big obstacle like the river, Anse isn't in the cart trying to make it across the river, he's taking an easier route and letting his kids do the work. However, he does deserve a little bit of credit for his sacrifices. He went years without being able to eat solid food.
ReplyDelete