23 English eng Pettey, Homer B. Contributor <p>The article analyzes William Faulkner’s&nbsp;<em data-start="82" data-end="98">As I Lay Dying</em>, focusing on the relationship between&nbsp;<span data-start="137" data-end="151">perception</span>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<span data-start="156" data-end="165">being</span>. It argues that Faulkner presents a world in which reality is not objective but shaped by each character’s subjective perception. The novel’s multi-perspective narrative structure exposes the breakdown between language, perception, and existence, especially through the character of Darl, whose heightened awareness ultimately leads to the disintegration of his self and being. The article interprets the novel as a key modernist work that questions the limits of language and the human capacity to grasp reality.<br></p> The Johns Hopkins University Press Fall 2003 pdf ISSN 0884-2949 Literary criticism Perception and the Destruction of Being in "As I Lay Dying" mixed material The Johns Hopkins University Press