Cash Bundrens Use Of Carpentry As A Defense

Mechanism In William Faulkners As I Lay Dying

Brooke Morin

According to Freuds classification of defense mechanisms,

Sublimation is the redirection of unacceptable, instinctual drives into

personally and socially acceptable channels. In William Faulkners As I

lay Dying, Cash Bundren uses carpentry to cope with feeling out of

control. Based on Sigmund Freuds theory of defense mechanisms,

Cash created this coping tool as a defense mechanism to deal with his

lack of control over events and people in his life.

Carpentry works for Cash because he can control the outcome of

whatever he builds. This control acts as a replacement for the control

he lacks over other aspects of his life. Cash has no control over his

mothers illness and copes with it by building her casket. He focuses

on the type of wood used, the size of the casket, the shape of the

casket and the texture of the casket.

It starts to pour while Cash is outside working on a coffin for his

mother. Instead of getting upset, Cash throws himself deep into his

work. He knows he cant control the weather or the fact that his mother

passed; instead, he covers the lantern that is lighting the night sky

enough for him to continue building. When his father comes outside

and is of no help to him or the rest of the family, he ignores his father
and continues to focus on the task at hand. Working so diligently and

with so much focus leaves little time for Cash to ponder the workings

of the world. Carpentry keeps Cashs mind preoccupied enough to

avoid thinking about things that would make him upset. Carpentry also

allows Cash to have an opportunity to control the outcome of things.

While lacking control would normally provoke intense feelings of

discomfort, anxiety anger and sadness, Cash experiences none of

these feelings because he combats them with feelings of

understanding and purpose when he builds things. Wood is tangible

and measurable; things make sense. This is a comforting feeling and a

healthy way to fight emotions that can lead to actions with

consequences.

Faulkner makes this evident to the readers. In the midst of chaos

in the family, Faulkner dedicates a chapter to Cash and his mindset

during the time. The chapter, which represents Cashs thoughts, is

about carpentry and the things he is thinking about in regards to the

casket. As I lay dying has a unique narration in that Faulkner decided to

have no universal narrator. Instead, similarly to many modern writers,

Falkner experimented with his writing style. Character development

occurs as readers gain insight to the characters mind. The only

knowledge readers obtain is through the thoughts of each character. In

the midst of all the chaos, not once does Cash have his emotions in the

conscious part of his mind. The significance of this chapter is

emphasized by its contrast to other characters chapters during this

time.

The chapter before Cashs, Darl is the narrator and his chapter is about

watching cash and the rest of his family. Darl contemplates the

meaning of life and death through the concepts of is and was.

Vardamans chapter precedes Cashs and Vardaman thinks about how

his mother is a fish. Every other character during this time is reflecting

upon the incidents that have recently occurred with their mother,

except for Cash. The contrast in the characters thoughts is a strong

indication that Cashs thoughts are not normal.

Now, when Addie dies, the family is adamant about getting her

to Jefferson. Part of the journey to Jefferson required the family to cross

a river that had no bridge. While this turned out to be a huge event in

the novel, it also doubled as a glimpse into Cashs use of sublimation.

When Addie and the coffin fall into the river, Jewels instinctive reaction

is to jump in and save it. There is once again chaos surrounding the

family. Cash had fallen off the wagon into the water, and broke a leg.

Meanwhile, he couldnt swim and was also attempting to save the

horse. Readers experience this through the eyes of Tull and Darl.

His eyes are closed. His face is grey. His hair plastered in a

smooth smear across his forehead as though done with a

paintbrush. His face appears sunken a little, sagging from the

boney ridges of eye sockets, nose, gums, as though the wetting

 had slacked the firmness which had held the skin full; his teeth,

set in pale gums are parted a little as if he had been laughing

quietly. He lies pole-thin in his wet clothes, a little pool f vomit at

his head and a thread of it running from the corner of his mouth

and down his cheek where he couldnt turn his head quick or far

enough, until Dewey Dell stoops and wipes it away with the hem

of her dress. (90)

The rest of the family then gathers the mules and the tools and the

rest of the family. Cash lies on the ground, soundless. The next chapter

is Cashs. His chapter consists of twenty-four words. One and a half

sentences are all Cash has at the forefront of his mind during this

traumatic event.

It wasnt on a balance. I told them that if they wanted it to tote

and ride on a balance, they would have to (95)

The text from Tull and Darls chapters show that Cash is in physical and

emotional distress. Yet the chapter that Faulkner provides from Cashs

point of view shows he is only thinking of carpentry. According to

Freud, this event was so painful that Cash suppressed his thoughts and

substituted them with thoughts about carpentry. This is an unconscious

action and therefore a defense mechanism and not a coping skill. If the

family let Cash put the casket on a balance, Cash would have

prevented this incident. Thinking of ways that allow him to have

control eases Cashs mind. He doesnt know it, but this is Cashs bodys
way of protecting him from the harsh realities of the world. Since

carpentry is Cashs only defense mechanism it is easy to understand

why losing his tools in the river deeply affected him.

Evidence shows that the majority of Cashs thoughts are about

carpentry. Controlling the outcome of something is Cashs way of

dealing the intrusive, painful emotions that he lives with. This is a

defense mechanism used to combat Cashs anger, sorrow and lack of

control over things in his life. Anses selfishness, Addies death, the

lack of education and wealth surrounding the family, the lack of love

and acceptance from the family and the pressures of the world are so

overwhelming that Cash has subconsciously designed a way to

maintain composure and control through the use of carpentry. This

healthy redirection of emotion is a positive reaction to negative

situations. Frued believed that some of the worlds best creations were

due to effective forms of sublimation. (Sommer) Unlike his siblings,

Darl and Jewel, Cash was able to find a healthy outlet to direct his

anger even while the threatening situations still surround him.

 Resources

Sommer, Kristin L. "Freudian Defense Mechanisms and Empirical Findings in

Modern SocialPsychology: Reaction Formation, Projection, Displacement, Undoing,
Isolation, Sublimation, and Denial." Freudian Defense Mechanisms and Empirical
Findings in Modern SocialPsychology: Reaction Formation, Projection,
Displacement, Undoing, Isolation, Sublimation, and Denial. N.p., n.d. Web. 08
Dec. 2015.

Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying: The Corrected Text. New York: Vintage, 1990.
Print.