Reconstruction:As I Lay Dying
As I Lay Dying opens with Darl as the point-of-view character. Early on, it is established that Darl can <{{#replace:distance|}}||nested=yes}}}}> himself from even himself.
The end of his chapter is marked by a <{{#replace:rythmic|}}||nested=yes}}}}> <{{#replace:repetition|}}||nested=yes}}}}> of the noise the adze makes:
His brother Vardaman also shows in his chapters a <{{#replace:rythmic|}}||nested=yes}}}}> type of <{{#replace:enumeration|}}||nested=yes}}}}>:
“Cooked and et. Cooked and et.”
❞His chapters show a recurring <{{#replace:familial <{{#replace:enumeration|}}||nested=yes}}}}>|}}||nested=yes}}}}> that is introduced along a <{{#replace:transformation|}}||nested=yes}}}}> of the mother Addie Bundren:
Darl confirms his <{{#replace:distancing|}}||nested=yes}}}}> ability:
How often have I lain beneath rain on a strange roof, thinking of home.
❞In a one-line Vardaman chapter, the <{{#replace:transformation|}}||nested=yes}}}}> is then completed.
While the family moves the coffin to town, Cash talks of its <{{#replace:balance|}}||nested=yes}}}}> (which is quite ironic considering his background story includes him falling from a roof and breaking a leg):
Addie Bundren has a monologue in her own chapter where she points out the <{{#replace:arbitrariness|}}||nested=yes}}}}> of words and names:
Vardaman reiterates his <span id="familial <{{#replace:enumeration|}}||nested=yes}}}}>" style="font-style:italic; color: #505050"><{{#replace:familial <{{#replace:enumeration|}}||nested=yes}}}}>|}}||nested=yes}}}}> while the family gets nearer to town. In particular, he uses the <span id="phrasal <{{#replace:repetition|}}||nested=yes}}}}>" style="font-style:italic; color: #505050"><{{#replace:phrasal <{{#replace:repetition|}}||nested=yes}}}}>|}}||nested=yes}}}}> “X is my brother:”
On their way, Vardaman spots something (presumably Darl trying to burn the coffin), and identifies him through <span id="familial <{{#replace:enumeration|}}||nested=yes}}}}>" style="font-style:italic; color: #505050"><{{#replace:familial <{{#replace:enumeration|}}||nested=yes}}}}>|}}||nested=yes}}}}>:
Cash later tries to <{{#replace:balance|}}||nested=yes}}}}> what is right and what is wrong:
The <{{#replace:balancing|}}||nested=yes}}}}> <{{#replace:relativizes|}}||nested=yes}}}}> Darl’s doings through his <{{#replace:distancing|}}||nested=yes}}}}>:
But I ain’t so sho that ere a man has the right to say what is crazy and what ain’t. It’s like there was a fellow in every man that’s done a-past the sanity or the insanity, that watches the sane and the insane doings of that man with the same horror and the same astonishment.
❞When Vardaman expresses a <span id="phrasal <{{#replace:repetition|}}||nested=yes}}}}>" style="font-style:italic; color: #505050"><{{#replace:phrasal <{{#replace:repetition|}}||nested=yes}}}}>|}}||nested=yes}}}}> involving Darl after the latter was arrested:
The latter quote directly transitions into a Darl chapter where Darl <{{#replace:repeats|}}||nested=yes}}}}> not only his own name, but also the <span id="phrasal <{{#replace:repetition|}}||nested=yes}}}}>" style="font-style:italic; color: #505050"><{{#replace:phrasal <{{#replace:repetition|}}||nested=yes}}}}>|}}||nested=yes}}}}>, accomplishing a <{{#replace:<{{#replace:relativized|}}||nested=yes}}}}> repetition|}}||nested=yes}}}}>:
Darl is our brother, our brother Darl. Our brother Darl in a cage in Jackson where, his grimed hands lying light in the quiet interstices, looking out he foams.
“Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes”
❞At the end of the last chapter, Cash expresses a <span id="<{{#replace:relativized|}}||nested=yes}}}}> repetition" style="font-style:italic; color: #505050"><{{#replace:<{{#replace:relativized|}}||nested=yes}}}}> repetition|}}||nested=yes}}}}>: “this world is not his world; this life his life:”
It was a fact. It made him look a foot taller, kind of holding his head up, hangdog and proud too, and then we see her behind him, carrying the other grip—a kind of duck-shaped woman all dressed up, with them kind of hard-looking pop eyes like she was daring ere a man to say nothing. And then I see that the grip she was carrying was one of them little graphophones. It was for a fact, all shut up as pretty as a picture, and every time a new record would come from the mail order and us setting in the house in the winter, listening to it, I would think what a shame Darl couldn’t be to enjoy it too. But it is better so for him. This world is not his world; this life his life.
❞This <span id="<{{#replace:relativized|}}||nested=yes}}}}> repetition" style="font-style:italic; color: #505050"><{{#replace:<{{#replace:relativized|}}||nested=yes}}}}> repetition|}}||nested=yes}}}}> contrasts with the final line that follows, where a <span id="familial <{{#replace:enumeration|}}||nested=yes}}}}>" style="font-style:italic; color: #505050"><{{#replace:familial <{{#replace:enumeration|}}||nested=yes}}}}>|}}||nested=yes}}}}> involves an <{{#replace:arbitrary|}}||nested=yes}}}}> <{{#replace:transformation|}}||nested=yes}}}}> (from the deceased to “duck-shaped woman”) despite the name “Mrs Bundren” <{{#replace:repeating|}}||nested=yes}}}}> with respect to Addie Bundren:
