Fish as a Common Denominator? Symbolism in As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Abstract

Vardaman Bundren, the youngest character in William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, has puzzled readers and critics alike with his famous statement, “My mother is a fish.” Despite the main focus of the story being on the family’s ill-fated journey to bury the matriarch Addie Bundren in accord with her own wishes, Vardaman’s conclusion is something that stands out in the context. In order to understand the author’s motives and the character of Vardaman, this essay looks into the background of Faulkner and the symbolism in As I Lay Dying, addressing five symbols specifically, also considering the appearance and description of Vardaman in the story. To explain Vardaman’s statement, I begin by looking into the theory of psychological transference which may be the simplest and possibly most apparent explanation, being previously known and documented among psychoanalysts. Following that theory comes the idea that, as Vardaman wonders what happens to his mother after she passes from this life, he may be thinking that she will reincarnate as a fish. Lastly, a third hypothesis is the more profound speculation that Vardaman is subconsciously making a connection between the fish, which is a Christ motif, and Virgin Mary; an idea that may be the one most fitting with the religious culture of the South. As I Lay Dying offers many opportunities for interpretation, both in its story and through its characters. When taking the three hypotheses addressed here into account, I believe it is, in the end, up to the reader himself to favour one over another, or possibly allow all of them to come into play.