Light Emblem

Anse Holding Up the Cross

The emblem I have created represents Anse holding up a proverbial cross. This represents the supposed onus that Anse is under in delivering his wife to her preferred burial plot in Jefferson. The cross carries with it the general duality of christian zealotry and outsider fear The cross can be broadly applied to the idea that the Bundren’s (insiders) are zealous about their mission while onlookers (outsiders) are horrified by the morbid pungent procession.
Furthermore the cross is empty which exemplifies Anse’s empty zeal. Faulkner does not mitigate the truth and would appreciate the blatant metaphor of emptiness in Anse’s ‘religion’ which is further augmented by the cross being sacrilegiously upside-down. As a final nod to design the cross and Anse himself form what appears to be the letter ‘A’ just as the cross did with the Augsburg emblem.
Another fun little play on this emblem is that Anse’s name sounds like ‘ants.’ Ants are capable of holding objects many times their weight above their heads and Anse too seems to be holding something that is weighty over himself. But again the image shows that his ‘weight’ is really empty and so his stooped features work to characterize him as a false martyr.

Light Analogy

Augsburg College in Minnesota’s school emblem is the capital letter ‘A’ with a stylized right side and cross bar that are straightened and elongated (respectively) to create a cross. Augsburg’s mission statement is based on christian principles and thus the cross is appropriate.
The cross within the context of the letter ‘A’ could prioritize christianity as fundamental and original (just as the letter ‘A’ is the first letter of the alphabet) and the red could have religious connotations such as sacrifice or to stand for the blood of christ (or some such other vaguely religious tie). The emblem probably symbolizes solidarity and faith for christian followers and can elicit positive feelings but as with the number II there is a flip side to this coin.
The logo does not attempt to make a universal claim, instead only symbolizing a single religious following (certainly a well aimed one in this case, regardless). To students of differing theological beliefs the cross can be terrifying. The sacramental red, likewise, can easily be construed as a negative and warlike color (the red of blood spilt over religious superiority).

The Emblem of Augsburg College

This religiously biased emblem mimics christianity in As I Lay Dying as both a tool to lighten and to make heavy. This is the polarizing effect of the christian cross; it both includes and excludes simultaneously.