Krumholz David Krumholz Dr. Smurthwaite English 270B 11 May 2009 onne!tions Essay 2" Modernist#s $riters Su!

h as %emingway and &aul'ner Sym(olize Death )omanti!ally Ernest %emingway and $illiam &aul'ner sym(olize the dying *ro!ess in a romanti! manner. +his *a*er will investigate two o, these author#s wor's and their im*a!t towards so!iety#s

relative homogeneity. +he short story- +he Snows o, Kiliman.aro- and the novel- As I Lay Dying, will su**ly the rhetori! ,or the *otential mis!on!e*tion. Both authors !ommand the literary s'ill to alter the tone and mood o, the story to em*hasize and modi,y the ,orm and image o, death. +his leaves the reader a *ossi(le delusion that death is a romanti! interlude. +o a!!om*lish this !himera%emingway and &aul'ner utilize ane!dotal rhetori! to denote the dead or the dying. +his in!ites a literary misunderstanding to the reader and ,orms a misnomer to the literary ,un!tion. $ithout dou(t there is an a!!e*tan!e (y the reader that death o!!urs. +he intent o, these two authors is to leave the reader#s im*ression o, the dying *ro!ess as seemingly deta!hed and un'nown. +he !om*le/ sensitivity o, dying is maligned (y (oth %emingway and &aul'ner. +hus- through the *er*le/ity o, the storyline- the reader is le,t to de!i*her their own inter*retation o, death. %owever- i, alienationdis!ontinuity- and disillusionment were the goal o, these *ortentous writers- then they a!!om*lished the o(.e!tive as 0Modernists.1 2n 0+he Snows o, Kiliman.aro-1 %emingway is ,ormulizing his e/treme ma!ho *ersona as %arry- the *rotagonist o, the story- who is dying in a surrealist setting overseeing the tallest *ea' in 3,ri!a. %arry gradually elevates his adventuresome dilemma and dies while he seemingly hallu!inates a dreamli'e ending in the *ro!ess. 2n a %emingway moment- %arry de!lares to himsel,0+he *arty#s over and you are with your hostess now. 2#m getting as (ored with dying as with everything else- he thought1 4%emingway 19975. %emingway *resents death as another tas' ,or the demeanor o, %arry#s !hara!ter. %emingway has non!halantly su**ressed any ,ormida(le ,ear in dying. &or %arry- death (e!omes a !reature he is a(le to argue with. %arry even dis!usses his

Krumholz dis!ontent to death" 06ou#ve got a hell o, a (reath. 6ou stin'ing (astard1 4%emingway 19975. +hough %emingway may (e e/*erimenting with his literary s'ill- the reader is tem*ted to ,ormulize resentment in the way %emingway a!!e*ts death. %emingway in his de*i!tion o, the dying *ro!ess is una(le to des!ri(e the inward ,eelings and inner *ain. %arry meta*hori!ally des!ri(es the on!oming event o, dying as a dis!reet a(omination" 02t !an (e two (i!y!le *oli!emen as easily- or (e a (ird. 7r it !an have a wild snout li'e a hyena1 4%emingway 19975. 2t would seem there is no reason ,or the reader to have sin!ere ,eelings ,or %arry. %emingway has no intention to show hel*lessness or *ersonal ,eelings towards dying. Dying (e!omes a state o, !ons!iousness where the reader ,ollows an imaginary energy. %arry su!!um(s to the (eastly ,oe- (ut there is that moment where death !ir!umvents his (ody" 0%e 8%arry9 !ould not s*ea' to tell her 8%elen his wi,e9 to ma'e

it go away and it !rou!hed now- heavier- so he !ould not (reathe. 3nd then- while they li,ted the !otsuddenly it was all right and weight went ,rom his !hest1 4%emingway 199:5. $hen %arry is a**arently dead- the instin!ts o, nature un,old; the .ungle animals sense the se*aration ,rom li,e. +he hyena senses the great white hunter#s death as they e!ho their 0!rying 8romanti!ized9 sound1 4%emingway 19995 o, dying. +hus- %emingway *redis*oses our senses with the *rimal sounds o, nature to *resent an egotisti!al imagery o, dying. 2n &aul'ner#s As I Lay Dying- the overzealous determination ,or the Bundren ,amily to (ury their mother- 3ddie- (ased on her wishes is des!ri(ed (y the author in ardent (u,,oonery. <ost in transition is a meaning to this ,a!tious tale with all the !hara!ter !hanges and voi!es. +he death o, 3ddie- the mother- in a less ,ortunate Southern ,amily has seemingly little meaning to &aul'nere/!e*t ,or the a(ility to *rolong the story with his Southern ,i/ation. Em(edded in the reader#s dismay- is how anyone with ethi!al standards !an leave a dead !or*se to rot ,or nine days. &aul'ner utilizes the Bundren ,amily to !ross moral (oundaries with their dead mother. 2n other words&aul'ner has the tenden!y to instill dou(t in the story a(out their moral (ehavior. +here la!'s a !ohesive (ond or !oheren!e in the story to deal with death- and &aul'ner is illusive to des!ri(e its

horrid reality.

Krumholz B ora- the neigh(or#s wi,e adds the stereoty*i!al religiosity and Southern !ertainty to

the story. She de!lares- 02 have tried to live right in the sight o, =od and man- ,or the honor and !om,ort o, my hristian hus(and and the love and res*e!t o, my hristian !hildren1 4&aul'ner 1:>75. +he words are min!ed to ,ragrant hristian thought whi!h &aul'ner wishes to *ro.e!t to the reader. 2n addition- a *er!eived *er!e*tion o, Southern style#s homogeneity (e!omes a leading !om*onent to en,ran!hise the story. &urthermore- there is the !reative des!ri*tion (y &aul'ner when 3ddie has her dying moment" 0?.arring the whole (ed into a !hattering si(ilan!e o, mattress shu!'s- her arms out,lung and the ,an in one hand still (eating with e/*iring (reath into the @uilt1 4&aul'ner 1:7>5. +hen- the reader is le,t with a disingenuous in!antation to immortalize the way someone dies. +hus- &aul'ner utilizes his a(ility to instigate death#s universality as a romanti! endeavor ,or our reading *leasure. %emingway and &aul'ner are (ewildered literary ty*e!asts where death is a deli!ate noun written to torment our overloaded intrinsi! thoughts. Modernist writers in general utilize a stream o, !ons!iousness and ,ragmented se@uen!es to *resent the *sy!hologi!al determinant while also esta(lishing a *rovo!ative so!ial !riti@ue. %emingway and &aul'ner deal with death and dying in e/*ressive o*enness utilizing an a!!e*ta(le ,ormat ,or the *ost $orld $ar 2 era. +hey reorient the !ulture#s tolera(ility o, death whi!h is enhan!ed in their modernist style o, writing. Death or dying is a mor(id enough struggle within its own sel,. +hen- to e/*ress eu*hemisti!ally the *arado/i!al !hanges ,rom li,e to death (e!omes a *olite way to !ommuni!ate the horrid !on,ines o, this ta(oo. Death is a su(.e!t these modernist writers delved to !hallenge- (ut su!!ess in augmenting a literary master*ie!e is granted to those who 'now the a**earan!e and ,eelings o, death. %emingway and &aul'ner adhere to a ty*e o, es!a*ism ,or the solidarity o, this gruesome o!!asion. Ahiloso*hi!allythere are too many who have died- and will die- that death !an ever (e a!'nowledged as the ending. Besides- religiosity and the homogeneity o, the su(.e!t *ermit a large varian!e in its *resentation. Modernist writers su!h as <angston %ughes- 3my <owell- 3lan Seeger- )o(ert &rost- or arl

Krumholz Sand(erg !ast a (etter des!ri*tive agonized re!olle!tion o, the event. 2n addition- the writings o, %emingway and &aul'ner seem mis!hievous- as i, a young (oy is develo*ing the art,ul *leasure o,

des!ri(ing death. +hey are *laying with the 0grand,ather o, li,e.1 yni!ally- i, &. S!ott &itzgerald or +. S. Eliot are (rought into a !om(ined mi/ture- then a ,urther edu!ation is ne!essary to understand their literary talent. +hen the short story- 0Ba(ylon )evisited-1 (e!omes newly titled- 03 =ame o, hess in Ba(ylon-1 an elusive indes!ri(a(le alignment o, literary ,usion. +he a(ility to develo* a !onne!tive element to des!ri(e death rests with the author#s imagery and their literary !om,ort zone. +hus- that uninha(ita(le *la!e 'nown as death is e/*osed to the readers (y the authors a!!ording to their *sy!hologi!al dire!tive. %owever- those writers who !a*ture a delusion o, grandeur to des!ri(e death and dying *rovo'e a ,a!tual dis!ontinuity. Modernist writers su!h as %emingway and &aul'ner are su*erior writers. onse@uently- they are a(le to misguide the senses o, the literary

*u(li!. $hat they ,ail to a!!om*lish is a relation o, loss and des*air as ,ervently as the other modernists. Mar' +wain *hrased it admira(le in his !riti@ue o, the nineteenth !entury writer Cames &enimore oo*er" 0+hey 8writers9 re@uire that !rass stu*idities shall not (e *layed u*on the reader?1 4+wain 29D5. +hus- death is meandering in an o(livious *ath in %emingway#s and &aul'ner#s stories as su*er,i!ial as 0,ather time.1 3dmittedly- there is some interest in the story- As I Lay Dying- (ut the last ,ew lines o, the te/t de(ou!h the story- as the ,ather- 3nse- returns ,rom town to announ!e to his 'ids his new wi,e" 02t#s ash and Cewel and Eandaman and Dewey Dell- *a says- 'ind o, hangFdog and *roud too- with his teeth and all- even i, he wouldn#t loo' at us. Meet Mrs. Bundren- he says1 4&aul'ner 19DD5. $ell- using a little southern 0twang1 slang as a res*onse" 0$ell i, that don#t (eat all- !an you imagine *a got himsel, a hoe to snuggle ne/t to him.1 Death- in As I Lay Dying, (e!omes the memoirist o, a non!halant youth,ul a!!lamation. +he Bundren ,amily is missing !onne!tive moral *atterns and mani,ests death as a ver(ose en!hantment. +here is also a related sym(olism to death in 3lan =ins(erg#s e*i! *oem- 0%owl-1 sin!e there is state o, nonF!on,ormity in

Krumholz D dying. 2n %emingway#s- 0+he Snows o, Kiliman.aro-1 everyone around %arry either 0howls1 or is !on!erned a(out his !ondition- although the reader does not !are i, %arry dies. %emingway has !eremoniously ,ostered a mis!on!e*tion a(out death and dying. %emingway has em*loyed meta*hori!al se@uen!es to signi,y death as a deta!hment ,rom reality. 2n addition- throughout the story- %emingway utilizes ,lash(a!'s o, %arry#s li,e to idealize the story whi!h eventually leads to %arry#s death. 2n this mythologi!al manner- %arry romanti!izes his own li,e#s end. %arry a!'nowledges- 0?all he !ould see- as wide as all the world- great- high- and un(elieva(ly white in the sun- was the s@uare to* o, Kiliman.aro. 3nd then he 'new that there was where he was going1 4%emingway 19995. +here is no remorse,ul tone or (itter harmony to the *ro!ess. %arry is not drearier as death a**roa!hes- he (esets into no !omatose moments where words or thoughts avail him. %arry (e!omes no(le enough to s*ea' o, death in a meta*hori!al Sha'es*earian ,ashion. %en!e- there is a literary (lan'et that !overs the way so!iety inter*rets death. +here is naivety to anyone who (elieves %emingway or &aul'ner has the 'nowFhow to e/*ress and ,eel the dire @uintessential moment o, death. Shall there (e the *re*osterous assum*tion that a !ata!lysmi! event overlay the human s*e!ies and all this destru!tive energy *ondered in $orld $ar 2 has twisted their senses. +hen- these *arti!ular modernists over*lay a *henomenon that no(ody es!a*es. Death has some su(versive value. So!iety has some irrevo!a(le horrors that it (elieves death and dying should remain hidden ,rom view or understanding. Death is a!'nowledged (y %emingway and &aul'ner more as a mature nursery rhyme where there is a li'a(le ending. )ather than !hallenge the !ontroversial su(.e!t o, death- the (rotherhood and the homogeneity o, so!iety *re,ers to hide its innate *sy!hologi!al e,,ort. +hus- %emingway and &aul'ner *ro!ure a romanti! *ulse ,or their e/*ression o, the *ro!ess. +wain in his short story- 0+he $ar Arayers-1 (elieves that a homogeneous so!iety should not ,all into !ivilization#s tra*- the stead,ast do!trines o, how to live and what to (elieve. <et us *ray as +wain asserts- 0$e as' it- in the s*irit o, love- o, %im $ho is Sour!e o, <ove- and $ho is the everF,aith,ul re,uge and ,riend o, all that are sore (eset and see' %is aid with

Krumholz > hum(le and !ontrite hearts. 3men1 4+wain B2G5. $ar and death are not no(le !reeds- (ut an eye ,ull o, emotional tears with ea!h tear dro* signi,ying another lost soul. 2t is sim*ly !razy to thin' death and dying !ould ever (e trans,ormed into realism in literature. +hus- ,or *ur*oses rendered in this *a*er %emingway and &aul'ner should (e re!ognized as 0)omanti!s.1

E*ilogue

+he 0(ird o, death1 does not ,ly awayBut only !omes another day. 2t has no wings to !laim authority+here is no mountain that says eternity. +here seems no answer why it staysBut when it !omes- it does not ,ly away.

Krumholz $or' ited Eliot- +.S. &rom The Waste Land: 3 =ame o, hess.1 The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Eol. D. =en Ed. Hina Baym. 7th ed. Hew 6or'" $.$. Horton- 2007. 1D:9F91. &aul'ner- $illiam. As I Lay Dying. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Eol. D. =en Ed. Hina Baym. 7th ed. Hew 6or'" $.$. Horton- 2007. 1:>0FDD. &itzgerald- &. S!ott. 0Ba(ylon )evisited1 The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Eol. D. =en Ed. Hina Baym. 7th ed. Hew 6or'" $.$. Horton- 2007. 1:B9FDB.

&rost- )o(ert. 0%ome Burial.1 The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Eol. D. =en Ed. Hina Baym. 7th ed. Hew 6or'" $.$. Horton- 2007. 1B9DF9:. =ins(erg- 3lan. 0%owl.1 The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Eol. E. =en Ed. Hina Baym. 7th ed. Hew 6or'" $.$. Horton- 2007. 2D7>F:G. %emingway- Earnest. 0+he Snows o, Kiliman.aro.1 The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Eol. D. =en Ed. Hina Baym. 7th ed. Hew 6or'" $.$. Horton- 2007. 19:BF99. %ughes- <angston. 0Song ,or a Dar' =irl.1 The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Eol. D. =en Ed. Hina Baym. 7th ed. Hew 6or'" $.$. Horton- 2007. 20B1. <owell- 3my. 0Se*tem(er- 191:.1 The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Eol. D. =en Ed. Hina Baym. 7th ed. Hew 6or'" $.$. Horton- 2007. 1BDB. Sand(urg- arl. 0=rass.1 The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Eol. D. =en Ed. Hina Baym. 7th ed. Hew 6or'" $.$. Horton- 2007. 1GB9. Seeger- 3lan. 02 %ave a )endezvous with Death.1 The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Eol. D. =en Ed. Hina Baym. 7th ed. Hew 6or'" $.$. Horton- 2007. 1B7B. +wain Mar'. 0&enimore oo*er#s <iterary 7,,en!es. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Eol. . =en. Ed. Hina Baym. 7th ed. Hew 6or'" $. $. Horton- 2007. 29GF02. +wain- Mar'. 0+he $ar Arayer.1 The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Eol. . =en. Ed. Hina Baym. 7th ed. Hew 6or'" $. $. Horton- 2007. B22F2G.

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