William Faulkner is an American novelist whose major work is As I Lay Dying. Faulkner gave each of his characters traits that are expressed throughout the story. The reader is introduced to each character through their detailed and descriptive character traits. We are able to delve into the character's mind and see their distinct, personal traits. It didn't tell us anything about the characters, but it takes us into each character's mind to analyze what we see there. Even though these characters lead parallel lives we can see the total alienation and breakdown of relationships between them. Darl, Jewel, and Anse possess character traits that contribute to or cause the breakdown of their relationship. Anse Bundren is a poor farmer, married to Addie for more than thirty years. He is lazy and selfish and relies heavily on his family and friends. Anse's selfishness is what separates him from his two children: Darl and Jewel. For example, the trip to Jefferson, to bury his dead wife, was a promise he made to Addie, but his continued perseverance in bettering himself reveals his true selfishness. Despite trials along the way and Addie's body rotting and attracting buzzards, he's only concerned with getting to Jefferson to buy new teeth. He uses Addie's death to fulfill his own selfish motives. After Addie's death Anse says, “But now I can give him teeth. It will be a comfort." (Faulkner 28). The only reason Anse continues his journey is to get new teeth. He further shows his selfishness when their mules are drowned in the flood. He makes a deal with a relative to trade Cash's eight dollars and Jewel's beloved horse for a new team of mules. Third, Anse is so worried… middle of paper… they are separated from each other despite everything they share together. Faulkner shows us that with Addie's death, the flood, fire, and rotting flesh that should have brought them together, they are too self-centered to get close to each other. Works Cited Backman, Melvin. Faulkner: The Prime Years;: A Critical Study. Indiana University Press 1966Blotner, Joseph. Faulkner: A Biography (Southern Icons) University Press of Mississippi, 2005Faulkner, William. As I lay dying. New York: Vintage, 1987. Getty, Laura J. “Faulkner's As I Lay Dying” The Explicator. 64.3 (2005): 230. Gale. Network. October 3, 2011Humphrey, Robert. Stream of Consciousness in the Modern Novel University of California Press, 1968 Vickery, Olga W. The Novels of William Faulkner: A Critical Interpretation, LSU Press, April 1, 1995