the meaning of "my mother is a fish" in As I Lay Dying
In William Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying", at page 52, there is a chapter, in the point of view of Vardaman, with only one sentence, which reads "My mother is a fish.". This is the start of a leitmotif that continues for the rest of the story. There are many instances of Vardaman saying, or thinking that his mother is a fish whenever he thinks about his mother. This motif is a part of the story's structure and evolves as the story goes on. This may seem strange, but there is a reason behind why this leitmotif exists. The reason why Vardaman thinks his mother is a fish, most likely, has to do with trauma. In page 21 and 22, Vardaman is shown holding a fish he caught, which he plans to show to Addie. However, when he does show it to Addie, Addie is nearly dead, and dies 3 pages later. After that, Vardaman has some sort of mental breakdown, repeating the phrase "he kilt her" while running around the barn. This is when Vardaman is clearly chang...