The art of the plot twist.
I have to say, I did not really enjoy As I Lay Dying. Although the writing was good, I often found myself reading the lines but not taking them in. I typically find myself being able to focus on things I like really easily. But something boring becomes all but almost impossible to sit through and read. However, I was able to sit through this book, and that was for one reason: the plot twists.
A good plot twist is something difficult, as it requires you to have thought of it before you even started. Which is why the small plot twist I had attempted in the beginning probably didn't work all that well, as I came up with it on the fly. There is a defining difference between a good plot twist and a bad plot twist: Rereadability.
Now, I'm generalizing here since even a book with a good plot twist may not be re readable. But a good plot twist is something that must be hinted on throughout the book, and that's something which may make a book enjoyable on its second read through. A plot twist put in for the sake of being a plot twist, and is completely random typically isn't a good plot twist. Now I put the word typically for the sole fact that just as the rules of writing exist to help, they also exist to be broken. But 999 times out of 1000 its most likely not going to be.
Which is why I think William Faulkner did a great justice in his writing to use his unique sense of narrative to key us in on two of our major plot twists: Darls insanity and Jewels father. In addition I think something else brilliant William Faulkner did was entwining the two in the story. To start, I think its most likely key to start with Darl. I think one of the important things Faulkner had done is establish Darl as our primary narrator in this story. His uncanny descriptions, near clairvoyance, and clear voice make him the most like a narrator of a traditional sort of book. And that also would alienate him from those who surround him as they're narratives seem much more as if from inside their head. Here we also end up getting many hints dropped by Darl about Jewels possible bastard nature. From describing it but in terms of animals when he talked with Vardaman, his distaste for Jewel, to Jewels refusal to ride inside the wagon, they all point towards the possibility which had turned out real in a chapter from Addie.
However, Darls distaste for Jewel also hints at us Darls steady mental decline. Since while we see Vardaman narrative growth from frantic outbursts into perceptiveness, Dewey dells practical outlook, and Cashs strong reflective voice. We see the opposite occur in Darl as he starts off a clear narrator, but as our journey progress we instead see him start to reflect an angrier cloudier narrative style. Part of it comes with his jabs at Jewel and who his father is, as it seems a way to vent out his frustration. Since in a way, he knows why they are doing this journey, and most likely feels that Jewel is the one at fault for this. In addition we also see his attempt to lose Addie's coffin when it had fallen into the river, Vardaman recalling Darl bobbing in and out of the water "trying" to grab it. In the end what saved them was it getting stuck in a mud bank. Which is why Darls burning of the barn in the end doesn't come as much of a surprise, and neither does his insanity as just the existence of a person who thinks in narrative style ends up ticking so many red flags.
A good plot twist is something difficult, as it requires you to have thought of it before you even started. Which is why the small plot twist I had attempted in the beginning probably didn't work all that well, as I came up with it on the fly. There is a defining difference between a good plot twist and a bad plot twist: Rereadability.
Now, I'm generalizing here since even a book with a good plot twist may not be re readable. But a good plot twist is something that must be hinted on throughout the book, and that's something which may make a book enjoyable on its second read through. A plot twist put in for the sake of being a plot twist, and is completely random typically isn't a good plot twist. Now I put the word typically for the sole fact that just as the rules of writing exist to help, they also exist to be broken. But 999 times out of 1000 its most likely not going to be.
Which is why I think William Faulkner did a great justice in his writing to use his unique sense of narrative to key us in on two of our major plot twists: Darls insanity and Jewels father. In addition I think something else brilliant William Faulkner did was entwining the two in the story. To start, I think its most likely key to start with Darl. I think one of the important things Faulkner had done is establish Darl as our primary narrator in this story. His uncanny descriptions, near clairvoyance, and clear voice make him the most like a narrator of a traditional sort of book. And that also would alienate him from those who surround him as they're narratives seem much more as if from inside their head. Here we also end up getting many hints dropped by Darl about Jewels possible bastard nature. From describing it but in terms of animals when he talked with Vardaman, his distaste for Jewel, to Jewels refusal to ride inside the wagon, they all point towards the possibility which had turned out real in a chapter from Addie.
However, Darls distaste for Jewel also hints at us Darls steady mental decline. Since while we see Vardaman narrative growth from frantic outbursts into perceptiveness, Dewey dells practical outlook, and Cashs strong reflective voice. We see the opposite occur in Darl as he starts off a clear narrator, but as our journey progress we instead see him start to reflect an angrier cloudier narrative style. Part of it comes with his jabs at Jewel and who his father is, as it seems a way to vent out his frustration. Since in a way, he knows why they are doing this journey, and most likely feels that Jewel is the one at fault for this. In addition we also see his attempt to lose Addie's coffin when it had fallen into the river, Vardaman recalling Darl bobbing in and out of the water "trying" to grab it. In the end what saved them was it getting stuck in a mud bank. Which is why Darls burning of the barn in the end doesn't come as much of a surprise, and neither does his insanity as just the existence of a person who thinks in narrative style ends up ticking so many red flags.
Cool post. While I was reading As I Lay Dying I never actually considered Darl's insanity or Jewel's father to be a plot twist. Looking back, that is because Faulkner was able to weave hints throughout the story. However, one of the hints I didn't notice that you point out is how Darl's distaste for Jewel suggest his mental decline.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely without these plot points the book wouldn't have been nearly as interesting. The way that Darl was able to narrate his mother's death without being in the room seemed amazing to me at first. Maybe his clairvoyant abilities eventually led to him going crazy. I definitely wasn't expecting Darl to end up laughing all the way to a mental hospital at the end of the book. Also, I like the way that Faulkner places little clues for these twists throughout the book. He makes us slowly realize that Jewel has a different father before he outright reveals it.
ReplyDeleteI remember everyone wondering if Darl was really okay in the head during class from the very beginning, and we were all trying to uncover the identity of Jewel's father. I feel like that level of mystery is what made the book not a boring slog through a bunch of easily avoided bad decisions (such as certain 19th century novels I will not name here).
ReplyDeleteNice post. Plot twists if done right can be really effective as a narrative device. I think the rereadability of As I lay Dying saves it for me. A lot of plot twists are alluded to earlier in the novel, and realizing that as you read through a plot twist is kind of satisfying in a way. I agree with you in that Faulkner does utilize his scheme of multiple narrators very well.
ReplyDeleteNice post! I also found the plot twists to be one of the more compelling parts of the book. Your analysis of how the Darl and Jewel plot twists intersect is really interesting and helped me appreciate the complexities that Faulkner worked into this novel. I would also add the reveal of Addie's personality to a list of good plot twists in this book since I think that most of us were viewing Addie as a dutiful wife or at least someone sadly trapped by bad circumstances and were totally surprised by her hatred when we got to the chapter narrated by her.
ReplyDeleteThat's really cool! I didn't particularly notice Darl unraveling throughout his narration. I just thought he was kind of weird. Faulkner did a great job intertwining these plot twists. They definitely made the book more interesting!
ReplyDeleteYes, exactly! It's a completely different kind of twist. The reader goes in with the expectation that Darl is a normal person. Over time, this expectation is challenged, more and more, with small exceptions at first that build into a big finale. The fun part is rereading the book to pick out all the small clues that lurk in the beginning.
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