I try to make sense of what Vardaman is saying by going into the head of a young boy. Young children always need an explanation for everything, and I think that is what Vardaman is doing when he decides his mother is the fish he caught. His mother dies around the same time the fish is caught and killed, so it is only reasonable for a young boy to believe that his mother is indeed the fish. This idea that Vardaman just needs an explanation also comes up when he is blaming Doctor Peabody for the death of his mother. In Vardaman's mind, the sequence of events basically goes, mother is alive, Peabody arrives, Peabody leaves, mother is dead. If we just had that information, it is not at all implausible to suggest that Peabody killed her. Vardaman probably didn't know he was a doctor just trying to help.
I find it very interesting how Faulkner writes as a boy of Vardaman's age. Does he really, accurately know what goes through the minds of children at his age, in his situations? I think that just maybe, it is possible that part of the reason that Vardaman is so out there is the author's relative inexperience to being and thinking as a seven year old boy. I do, however, think it is really awesome that we get to see some of the story take place through the eyes of a young boy. I've never read a book where the narrator is so young.
I'm not sure that Vardaman actually thinks his mother and the fish he killed are one and the same. He might be saying "my mother is a fish" as a kind of primitive metaphor. Or, he just might be having trouble expressing himself as is the case for a lot of little kids. They're skills with language and complex thinking aren't perfect, so sometimes they can't put into concrete words/thoughts the things they're trying to convey. Not having had a very nurturing upbringing, this notion of death is a complex thing for Vardaman to be wrestling with by himself. None of the other family members are very caring for him and are thinking about their own grief as well as the impact of Addie's death on the family, and therefore aren't going to be helping Vardaman cope. The lack of support and explanation he's getting from others leaves him to his own, insufficient, devices. The "my mother is a fish" chapter is probably just him trying to convey everything he's feeling, and it sort of bottle-necking into that confusing statement.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I think As I Lay Dying can be a pretty intense book. The chapters where we get a narration from Vardaman sort of allow for a break from all the seriousness. I think Faulkner decided to put Vardaman's narration in both so we could get a break and so we can read how this kind of intense situation can be interpreted by a young boy.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Vardaman's passages can be confusing, especially as even though he is expressing obviously primitive ideas, he has perfect grammar and good diction. If he sounded more childish, it would be so much easier for us as readers to not want to buy into what he's saying as much. Still, I also like Vardaman's passages and think his perspective definitely brings in a fresh way to look at things.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Faulkner brought Vardaman into the book just to give an innocent view on the happenings. In a similar sense to Darl, Vardaman is very truthful and straightforward about what is going on, but he has the perspective of imaginative 6 year old, rather than Darl's creepy omnipotent stuff. Vardaman just lacks the knowledge and understanding of the world to completely make sense of things, so he must use other events, such as the fish, to explain things.
ReplyDeleteVardaman's role in As I Lay Dying is an interesting one...like Madeleine said, he does provide some relief from the intense narratives of the other members of the Bundren family. While Vardaman goes through the same things that the others do on the journey, the way he perceives these events is quite different from the others, since he seems to be confused about what's been happening ("my mother is a fish"...what is that even supposed to mean?), and doesn't appear to have any ulterior motives to going to town, like many of the other Bundrens have. All of these elements combine into an interesting perspective of the Bundren family, as told by Vardaman.
ReplyDeleteOverall, it is obvious that Vardaman is confused and depressed by the death of his mother, and as he is a small child, he does not truly understand how his life will change or who he can depend on. He clearly has an underdeveloped perspective on the matter as compared to his siblings, yet we can not truly understand his feelings or future since he does not explain them in a clear fashion.
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