Something's Fishy About Addie
Vardaman's Fish Hyperfixiation
Throughout William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, many of the characters have some sort of preoccupation or association with an animal. For example, Jewel is obsessed with his horse and Tull often mentions the mules. Vardaman is another character that constantly brings up the imagery of a fish. Vardaman is the youngest child of the Bundren family. His chapters often full of run-on sentences and sporadic thoughts point out his young age and extreme grief and shock. Throughout the book, Vardaman compares his deceased mother to a fish.
In Vardaman’s first chapter, he is seen exclaiming how he “can feel where the fish was in the dust (Faulkner 35).” Addie Bundren, his mother, had just died, and readers can see his shock and denial in response to this news. He continues saying how “she is getting far ahead [he] cannot catch her,” with “she” alluding to by Addie (35). Soon after, Vardaman explicitly states, “my mother is a fish (52).” The fish, in this case, can be seen as a symbolism of Jesus. Vardaman is clearly in denial and wants his mother back. By saying that his mother is a fish, Vardaman wants her to “resurrect” or in other words come back. Vardman repeats this motif when he says how his “Pa shaves every day now because [his] mother is a fish (61).” During the attempted crossing of the river, Addie’s coffin falls into the water. In a panic, Vardaman says to Darl, “You knew she is a fish but you let her get away (89).” This shows that Vardaman sees this fish not like an actual animal; he sees her to symbolize the fish.
Readers can interpret Addie as the main character in terms of the hero’s journey. Although he is dead, her journey to her promised resting spot symbolizes her goal for freedom; she had despised her life. Because of the uniqueness in the telling of As I Lay Dying, Vardaman’s fish symbolism reflects parts of the hero’s journey. Eventually, Vardaman stops mentioning the fish. This shows that he is slowly coming to terms with the death of his mother. However, this also shows that Addie is once again transformed from a fish to something else. Transformation plays a crucial role in the hero’s journey, and Addie portrays that indirectly.
Throughout the book, Faulkner uses different motifs to represent various ideas and characters. Specific animals are constantly brought up to show how the characters are dealing and processing their grief. Vardaman uses an animal to process the death of his mother, because that is what he, as an eight year old, is able to do and understand. Reading past just Vardaman however, the fish is also a symbol of Christianity, another important thread in this novel. This fish not only symbolizes Vardaman’s hope of Addie’s return, but also Addie as a character in her hero’s journey.
Hey Sarisa! Establishing the context of which Vardaman had the fish and his mother's death is really crucial to understanding the significance behind it. Since both incidents occurred at the same time, it makes sense that both become conflated in his mind, especially as someone as young as him who doesn't know how to process his grief. I really like your connection between this and the hero's journey, and how it's pushing for the readers to view Addie as a hero, even though she's not physically present in the. narrative anymore.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarisa!
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I love the picture of the fish drawn out in the sand! I’m not sure if it’s just a random image or taken from the movie adaptation of “As I Lay Dying”, but it really helps me see myself in the story a little better. As you state, Vardaman is clearly using the idea of his mother as a fish as a crutch to help him understand her death. As a young child who has never experienced human death before, I’m sure Vardaman was not having a great time in the novel. I do think it’s interesting how you point at that at a certain point Vardaman stops referring to his mother as a fish - perhaps showing how he has finally gotten over his grief.
This is a very good post! Showing how Faulkner uses animals in As I Lay Dying through Vardaman's fish is a great example. I also think you could've talked about how Jewel cherishes his horse and thinks his mom is also a horse. However, I do think Vardaman is a better representation of animals. Overall, great post!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarisa! I also wrote about Vardaman's conceptualization of Addie as fish, and I 100% agree that seeing her as a fish is just easier for him to grasp. I did not, however, consider the representation of fish throughout Christianity. The point about Vardaman wishing to resurrect his mother is lovely, especially with Addie's stated emotions on religion. How the fish appears throughout the story is a good example of what. stage of processing grief we would now say that Vardaman would have been on.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarisa,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. When I first read the part about Vardaman thinking that his mother was a fish, as him being kid and thinking weird things, but reading your blog post made me agree with you that the fish could be a representation of Addie and how it helps Vardaman to cope with his mother's death. I loved how you incorporated the quotes into your post. I think that they really helped to strengthen your argument. Good Job!
Hey Sarisa, wonderful blog post! This was a really insightful breakdown of Vardaman’s fish symbolism! I hadn’t thought about the connection to Christianity and resurrection as clearly until now. It adds a whole new layer to that haunting “My mother is a fish” line. I also liked how you tied Vardaman’s emotional development to the Hero’s Journey through Addie’s transformation. It’s interesting to think about how Faulkner uses animals as both emotional outlets for the characters and as symbols with deeper meanings. Great analysis! This definitely helped me see Vardaman’s chapters in a more symbolic light!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarisa! I enjoyed reading your blog and when you mentioned how the fish symbolizes christianity, it made me think of another common theme with Vardaman. I think it's really interesting how Vardaman has this connection to Christianity, because throughout the book its primarily the adults that seem to be religious, and throughout the book he's defined for his maturity. He uses vulgar language and is referred to as a "grown man" by some, so I think it's interesting how he's the only one of the Bundren kids to also have that connection with Christianity.
ReplyDeleteThe motifs and patterns in As I Lay Dying are as diverse as they are interpretable, and this is a great deconstruction of perhaps the most prevalent one. The symbolic association Vardaman has with the fish and death, his mother, and childhood innocence, all show the subtlety Faulkner uses to convey key ideas and character traits. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHey Sarisa! I really appreciate this analysis of the fish symbolism because I honestly didn't get it when I read it. I like the idea that Vardaman was hoping Addie would be resurrected by calling her a fish, and that he stopped calling her one once he accepted the fact she wouldn't be coming back. I also like the way fish is literally slippery, and he often says that she's "getting far ahead" or "got away" or something like that, but when he stops calling her a fish hes letting "the fish" go.
ReplyDeleteI think the connection between Addie’s fish and Christianity is very interesting. I hadn’t noticed the potential symbolism, but it does make a lot of sense. The symbolism of messianic resurrection is realized in the Addie chapter. By giving her a dedicated chapter after death, it momentarily “resurrects” her from death so that she can share her perspective.
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