Cash III (165)

Cash says the coffin wasn't balanced. Even though Cash has a broken leg, this is all he can think about. He gets cut off mid-sentence; we really don't need to hear the rest...

Ironically, it wouldn't have made a difference.

Darl XIII (156-164)

"That's a Lucky Break!"

Cash isn't talking, and he has thrown up. Cash isn't talking, but the others try to get him to so they'll know how many of his tools need to be recovered.

Anse keeps saying, "Was there ere a such misfortunate man?" Big help, Anse.

Vernon and Jewel dive to get the tools one by one. Anse says it's lucky Cash broke the same leg as before. (Actually, medically, this is a terrible thing.)

Notice the physicality/sexuality of Dewey Dell being highlighted again:

"Squatting, Dewey Dell's wet dress shapes for the eyes of three blind men those mammalian ludicrosities which are the horizons and the valleys of the earth" (164).

Tull VI (152-155)

"Chaos!"

Tull relates everything to Cora. He says that Darl jumped free (Cash told him to, but Cora accuses him of cowardice). Jewel holds onto the rope at the other bank.

Where's Anse during all this? Like you have to ask.

Cora: "I notice Anse was too smart to been on it a-tall." (152)

Tull: "I don't know what you want, then," I said. "One breath you say they was daring the hand of God to try it, and the next breath you jump on Anse because he wasn't with them." (153)

Cora's argument-ender:

"...with that singing look in her face like she had done give up folks and their foolishness and had done went on ahead of them, marching up the sky, singing." (153)

By the way, Cash can't swim! (154)

Vardaman V (150-151)

"The One That Got Away"

Vardaman sees the whole thing go down, with Darl bailing and the coffin floating away. Vardaman reproves Darl because he knows she's faster in the water (because she's a fish): "...catch her Darl because in the water she could go faster than a man..."(150).

Vardaman V, Darl XII, and Tull VI tell the same story from three different perspectives, a la Rashomon.

Note that these sentences lack punctuation and are run-ons. Remember that Vardaman is mentally challenged and these events are happening in "real time."

Ironically, Vardaman takes Darl to task, but with a twist: "You knew she is a fish but you let her get away" (151).

Darl XII (141-149)

"It's Log!"

As they work out their plan to cross, Cash keeps telling them the coffin isn't balanced. Jewel rushes them along, and begins cursing Darl and Cash.

When they're in the water, Darl feels the wagon start to go. A log comes along, and Jewel can't pull them ahead of it. The log turns the wagon over, and the mules start floating away, hooves in the air.

Major plot points in this book are usually narrated by Darl, the most lucid:

"Before us the thick dark current runs. It talks up to us in a murmur...silent, impermanent and profoundly significant..." (141)

Note the adverb "monstrously" used to describe the river's movement.

Cash repeats himself when stressed: "I ought to come down last week and sighted" (twice) and "It ain't on a balance" (three times).

Check out this florid passage:

"...pa and Vernon and Vardaman and Dewey Dell are the only things in sight not of that single monotony of desolation leaning with that terrific quality a little from right to left, as though we had reached the place where the motion of the wasted world accelerates just before the final precipice" (146). Whew!

The following description of Cash is alliteratively accurate: "His face is calm, down-sloped, calculant, concerned" (147).

Tull V (137-140)

Anse and his crew begin crossing the water, trying the ford because of the washed-out bridge. Tull doesn't understand their desire to do so, unless "They would risk the fire and the earth and the water and all just to eat a sack of bananas." (140)

Darl XI (128-136)

"How Jewel Got His Horse"

Darl remembers how Jewel got his horse. For 5 months, Jewel was falling asleep all the time. Turns out he was working at night to save up for the horse.

In the meantime, Addie made the others help with his chores, paying Dewey Dell to do the milking for Jewel because she thought Darl was sick. Sometimes she'd secretly make things for Jewel and hide them. Darl realized Jewel was gone every night because of the lantern and at first thought it was a woman. Cash followed him one night and learned the truth, but doesn't tell.

Note Addie's hypocrisy:

"She would fix him special things to eat and hide them for him. And that may have been when I first found it out, that Addie Bundren should be hiding anything she did, who had tried to teach us that deceit was such that, in a world where it was, nothing else could be very bad or very important, not even poverty" (130).

There is also the 800 lb. gorilla in the room:

"It was as though, so long as the deceit ran along quiet and monotonous, all of us let ourselves be deceived, abetting it unawares or maybe through cowardice, since all people are cowards and naturally prefer any kind of treachery because it has a bland outside" (134).

This isn't all about the horse, though:

"Jewel looked at pa, his eyes paler than ever. 'He wont never eat a mouthful of yours,' he said. 'Not a mouthful. I'll kill him first...'"

And at this moment, Darl knows he knows the big 'secret' about Jewel:

"And then I knew that I knew. I knew that as plain on that day as I knew about Dewey Dell on that day." (136)

Tull IV (123-127)

Tull follows the Bundrens to the washed-out bridge. Dewey Dell says Whitfield crossed, but that was 3 days ago. Anse reminds them of his promise to Addie.

Tull suggests they wait a night for the water to go down. Anse can't make a decision, as usual, and finally Jewel decides to float the wagon and let Anse and Dewey Dell walk across. But Tull refuses to allow his mule to get in the high water.

"...it ain't never been what he done so much or said or anything so much as how he looks at you. It's like he had got into the inside of you, someway." (125)

Stream of Consciousness

Check out this goofy parody of "As I Lay Dying" by a group of well-meaning amateurs.




This episode of "The Outer Limits" cracks me up. Especially when Ryan Unger's choice of book to show to the attractive girl is James Joyce's Ulysses, the quintessential example of stream-of-consciousness literature. Juniors, be glad you don't have to read that book.

Dewey Dell III (120-122)

"Inside the Mind of Dewel Dell"

In this chapter, we see how Faulkner uses stream-of-consciousness to imitate the bored ramblings of Dewey Dell's imagination during the trip. She often interrupts her own thoughts, and we see she has several things competing for attention in her mind.

She sees the New Hope 3 mi. sign. She wonders why she can't think about more than one thing. Darl tells her to look at the buzzards, which are following them. Dewey Dell is lonely, as well. She notices that Jewel sits on his horse like he's made out of wood (which Darl noticed long ago).

This is a very strange chapter, and sometimes hard to follow. It appears that at times Dewey Dell is recounting dreams she's had, one of which includes Vardaman knifing the fish, and her knifing Darl...remember their ongoing conflict.

Throughout Dewey Dell is described in very physical terms.

Samson (112-119)

"Stinking Up the Barn"

If the Bundrens ever come to your farm, stand by the gate with a shotgun until they pass by. You don't want them around. Worst. Guests. Ever.

Samson and the fellahs see the Bundrens go by and assume they're on a holiday and that Addie has already been buried. As any objective person would assume!

Quick goes to get them, because they think they might not know about the bridge being out. They refer to Darl not by name, but by "the one folks talk about" (113). This foreshadows difficulties for Darl ahead.

When he finds out the truth, Samson tries to talk Anse into burying Addie immediately, but no go.

He says: "I notice how it takes a lazy man, a man that hates moving, to get set on moving once he does get started off, like it aint the moving he hates so much as the starting and the stopping" (114.) This is as poetic a definition of inertia as you will ever see. Compare.

Samson finally convinces them to stay overnight, but he senses great hostility from Dewey Dell: "If her eyes had a been pistols, I wouldn't be talking now" (115). He goes on to say this again, and also says that her eyes "blazed" at him.

Jewel insists on paying for the feed for his horse, not wanting to be "beholden" to anyone. Considering his lineage, this is hardly surprising.

After they leave, the smell of the body lingers in Samson's barn. Also, there's a buzzard that he has to let out from it.

Samson's narration reminds us how crazy this entire venture is, and how normal people go about honoring the dead.

Anse III (110-111)

"Woe is Anse, Again"

Anse complains about how hard he has it. They get to Samson's and the bridge is out.

He then goes on into a 'Bible dialect' with "I am the chosen of the Lord, for so He loveth, so doeth He chastiseth..."

Why does Anse feel the need to be reflective, when he is so clearly ill-suited to it?

Then he makes himself feel better with the prospect of the false teeth.

Aside from being tremendously lazy, Anse is a martyr wannabe.

Darl X (107-109)

"Smelly Corpse Passes Tull's"

The funeral procession passes Tull's place. Cash observes that in a couple of days Addie will be smelling. (Darl has already mentioned this.)

Jewel rides by, and splashes mud on the coffin, which Cash then scours with a willow.

Compare Cash and Darl's powers of perception. Also, the symbolism of the mud and the coffin is hard to miss.

Anse II (105-106)

"Darl Laughs at All of It"

Anse is upset because Darl starts laughing...he expresses concern about what others will say, not because it's a reflection on him (after all, it's not his fault), but a reflection on Addie.

Then he sees Jewel coming up on his horse.

Anse says directly: "I told him it's doing such things that makes folks talk about him..."

Why is Darl laughing here? (n.b. it won't be the last time!) Take a moment and break down the absurdity of the situation, character by character.

Is this the reason Addie wanted to be buried in Jefferson?

Darl IX (103-104)

"Buzzards"

Darl, already suspicious, sees Dewey Dell staring at Peabody.

Dewey Dell is again described in very physical terms:

"...her leg coming long from beneath her tightening dress: that lever which moves the world: one of that caliper which measures the length and breadth of life" (104)

For poetry fans, compare this passage to John Milton's golden compass.

Again, Darl describes Jewel in terms of wood: "wooden-backed" (103)

Anse thinks he's stopped Jewel from riding the horse.

Darl sees something circling in the sky.

Vardaman IV (100-102)

"Wagon Full of Crazy"

Vardaman is excited about going to town because of the the toy train.

Jewel insists on taking his horse, ignoring Anse's instructions not to.

When Vardaman says his mother is a fish, Darl taunts Jewel by telling him his horse is his mother. Darl says he himself has no mother.

Cash is carrying his tool box so he can stop off at Tull's on the way back to work on Tull's barn. Dewey Dell carries the cakes.

Note how everyone on this trip has a motive other than burying Addie.

Also note how Anse thinks it's disrespectful to use the trip for other things. We discover that this is an extremely ironic observation on his part.

Darl VIII (97-99)

"Jewel in a Hurry"

Jewel, impatient and green-faced, rushes the loading of the coffin. Darl's side "coasts like a rushing straw upon the furious tide of Jewel's despair" (99). Dang, that is a poetic line.

Jewel hurls the coffin into the wagon. (This is how Jewel grieves; compare it to the reactions of the others.)

Multiple Narratives

Here is an excellent discussion about multiple viewpoints of narrative...if you are a film buff (as I am), you may find the examples interesting. One of the prerogatives of the artist is to experiment with form, as Faulkner does.



If you are interested in Akira Kurasawa's Rashomon, rent it, or find it on the Internet. Here's a sample:

Cash II (96)

"The Coffin's Off-Balance"

While the coffin is being loaded, Cash keeps saying the same thing...it's off balance. Jewel curses him.

Note how the chapter ends on an incomplete sentence...as if the chapter is going on without

Darl VII (94-95)

"Your Mom is a Horse"

Darl and Jewel return. Darl tells Jewel at least it's not his horse that's dead. The others have been waiting for them to return.

Darl: I cannot love my mother because I have no mother. Jewel's mother is a horse. (95)

Again, Jewel is described as "wooden" and "wooden-backed, wooden-faced" (95).

Why does Darl say Jewel's mother is a horse? Is Darl right?

In response, Jewel curses Darl. This conflict is widening.

Tull III (85-93)

"The Funeral"

Tull tells Quick, a neighbor, that the bridge won't hold the weight of a wagon. Meanwhile, Anse looks more dignified in his white shirt.

Cash is filling up the holes in the coffin, doing it the hard way, as usual. They laid Addie opposite the normal way so that her big dress would fit better.

Whitfield, the preacher, is late because the bridge is out. It will take even longer to get to Jefferson now.

We learn about Cash's fall when he broke his leg (28 feet, 4 inches, which is hilariously exact).

The funeral service is very short, and we learn that Addie was in the coffin for 3 days before Darl and Jewel got back.

Italics mark later recollections by Tull and Peabody. Cora and Tull see Vardaman fishing in a dead pond...this boy doesn't know how to express his grief. Why is it fitting that he is fishing in a dead pond?

It's remarked that 3 days is a long time for a body to be above ground in Mississippi in the summer. Yikes.

Vardaman III (84)

"My Mother Is a Fish"

Vardaman thinks his mother is a fish.

Everything to do with Vardaman has been building up to this statement.

Is this funny? Or just sad?

How do we learn to make sense of death? Vardaman is mentally challenged, but he has managed to make sense of it in his own way.

Cash I (82-83)

"Cash's Coffin How-To"

Step-by-step, Cash recounts exactly how he made the coffin. "On the bevel," he says.

Why does he make this list? Clearly Cash is literal-minded, and he has concerned himself with nothing but the coffin in this book. He never even mentions his mother's death in this chapter. We call this sublimation.

Darl VI (75-81)

"Darl is Dang Lonely"

Darl imagines how the completion of the coffin must have went. Cash finishes it with help from Tull, while Anse is of no use: Anse "lifts his face, slack-mouthed" (76) at the rain, like a turkey. Cash has to arrange for the shelter of the lamp himself. They take the coffin in the house.

"...again he looks up at the sky with that expression of dumb and brooding outrage and yet of vindication, as though he had expected no less" (77-78).

Darl has a strange meditation on his loneliness, sleep, awareness, and existence in general (80-81). It wouldn't hurt to chart this, as there must be some philosophical depths to be explored.

Tull II (68-74)

"Tull Helps Finish the Coffin"

Cora and Tull see Peabody's team come by; they argue about who it is first. Now, the rain has broken.

Vardaman comes to the door, standing in the rain and going on about Tull having seen the fish. Cora attributes this behavior to grief.

Vernon thinks Darl's problem is that he thinks too much.

Vernon helps Cash finish the coffin, and they put Addie in it. They do this because Vardaman wouldn't stop opening the windows of the cabin so she could "breathe." Finally, Vardaman goes to sleep next to the coffin after having srilled holes in it. Two holes had been bored into her face.

Vardaman's behavior is a little more understandable because of what he said in the last chapter. Granted, he's not all there, but at least he has his reasons.

Why have a dull character like Tull (dull/Tull, ha) narrate a crazy scene like this?

Cora, judgmental as always, remarks: "I see the hand of the Lord upon this boy [Vardaman] for Anse Bundren's judgment and warning." (72)

Meanwhile, Tull comments on Cora: "I reckon she would make a few changes, no matter how He was running it." What is Tull referring to, exactly?

Vardaman II (65-67)

"Bananas and Trains"

We can begin to see Vardaman's confused mind in this chapter. He wonders if they will put Addie in the coffin. He remembers how he was once trapped in a crib (he had trouble breathing in it), and thinks about a rabbit he once had.

He thinks about bananas, and about the toy train he saw in town once. NOW we see his motivation for going to Jefferson.

How does Vardaman make sense of Addie's death? "Then it wasn't and she was, and now it is and she wasn't" (67).

Vardaman's chapters may be hard to follow, but if you consciously remember the physical objects as you read, it will help you keep track of his mind.

Dewey Dell II (58-64)

"Lafe!"

Dewey Dell again hits the refrain that the doctor could do so much for her. She feels completely alone--she wouldn't feel alone if she felt the child, but then again, everyone would then know.

She goes out to the barn to be alone, and as she starts calling out "Lafe!" it turns out that Vardaman is already in the barn. Oops.

How can the cow's situation be compared to Dewey Dell's?

Notice how Faulkner describes Dewey Dell in very physical terms... she's naked beneath her clothes, for example.

Cash wants Vardaman to go get the horse, because it "will let him catch him." (59) How is this ironic? What does this tell us about Cash's abilities of perception?

Note Dewey Dell's observation of Adse: "He looks like right after the maul hits the steer and it no longer alive and dont yet know that it is dead." (59)

She also calls Peabody "a tub of guts" (58).

Vardaman I (53-57)

"Vardaman's Revenge"

Vardaman, not understanding, blames Peabody for killing his mom. He runs around until he finds Peabody's horses and then beats them with a stick.

Dewey Dell calls Vardaman to supper...it turns out that the fish is "cooked and et" (57). Vardaman is confused about the death of the fish.

We get to see the workings of Vardaman's mind, such as it is, and how he pieces things together mentally. Note how he describes the horse's being: "an is different from my is" (56). We could say the same thing about Vardaman to the rest of us.

Darl V (47-52)

"Darl's Clairvoyance"

Faulkner often does things in a non-traditional way, and he breaks a narrative rule here by having a character describe events he was not actually present for. Why does he do this? (If your answer is that Darl doesn't need to be there to know what his crazy family would be doing, you are absolutely correct. He knows them well enough to know.)

Darl, not present for Addie's death, describes how it would go down:

Dewey Dell claims it's Jewel that Addie wants to see. Addie raises herself to get a look at the coffin, then lies down and dies. Dewey Dell, drama queen, falls on her mother, keening. Anse blames Darl and Jewel for not being there with the wagon.

Faulkner alternates this scene with a cutback (in italics) to Darl and Jewel in the wagon. It's stuck in the mud.

It goes back and forth like this, and the threads of each character come out: 1) Dewey Dell begins her campaign with Peabody ("you could do so much for me if you only knew" (51); 2) Cash's obsession with the coffin--his pantomime is hilarious (48); and Anse's final words over Addie? "Now I can get them teeth" (52).

How does Darl end the chapter?

Peabody I (41-45)

"Peabody Tries to Help Addie"

This chapter links up with a former chapter, Anse I, and gives us a clearer and more objective picture of what Anse was referring to. Peabody, a big boy (225 lb.), knows it's too late for Addie if Anse actually got off his keister to call him himself. It's significant that he dubs the situation "the face of the cyclone" (42), considering what all is going to happen with both the story and the weather.

Peabody is among a number of outsiders in the story who get to narrate; this allows us to see an objective view from time to time. Faulkner is really good at changing things up and not letting us get too deep into the crazy people's heads.

Addie, strangely enough, dismisses Peabody, and calls out for Cash. Here's Peabody's take:

"I have seen it before in women. Seen them drive from the room them coming with sympathy and pity, with actual help, and clinging to some trifling animal to whom they never were more than pack-horses." (45)

Faulkner is criticizing/ridiculing a number of things in this chapter. Can you identify them all?

Darl IV (39-40)

"Darl Tries to Set Jewel Straight"

Basically, two things are happening here: Darl keeps asking Jewel if he knows Addie's going to die, and Dewey Dell conitues to freak out about Darl possibly telling pa about her and Lafe.

As we will see, Darl seems to enjoy needling Jewel. Why does he do this?

What particularly nasty thing does Darl accuse Dewey Dell of, and what is the cause, according to Darl?

Notice the storm clouds are threatening again.

Anse I (35-38)

"Anse vs. the Road"

Here, Anse complains about the government road and how it's ruined his life. This chapter allows us to see how Anse sees himself, which is a lot different from how the other characters view him, and nearly every reader who picks up the book. How does Anse describe himself?

Anse recalls an exchange with Addie where she says she's tired, not sick, and needs to lie down. Does Anse's nature help or hurt in this situation? How?

Keep the false teeth Anse covets in mind...this will come back again.

How does Anse view God (the "Old Marster")? How does this religious view fit in with Anse's personality?

Meanwhile, Vardaman returns from chopping up the fish, all bloody.

Tull I (29-34)

"Tull Tries to Comfort Anse"

While Tull is trying to console Anse, Anse expresses the opinion that Addie will die before Darl and Jewel return.

This chapter is important because it marks the introduction of a new theme, that of Vardaman and the fish. Vardaman shows up with a rather large fish and wants to show it to his mom, but is frustrated. (Remember that Vardaman is mentally challenged, and understands little about what is going on around him.)

Why does Tull promise to help Anse with the corn? What comment is being made about life in the South?

What might the approaching rain foreshadow?

What concern does Tull repeat almost word-for-word about Cash? Why might that be important?

What opinion does Cora express about Addie and Anse's relationship?

Dewey Dell (26-28)

"Dewey Fools Around with Sacks"

This chapter features some of Faulkner's sly humor.

Immediately we see Dewey Dell's grammar is terrible...she often uses the wrong case, and her speech is littered with fragments. Compare with Darl's or Cora's chapters.

Dewey Dell claims that Jewel is not "care-kin" (26). What, exactly, does this mean? Jewel is being set apart from the other siblings for some reason. Why?

It's hard not to pick up on the sexual metaphor in this chapter. All throughout the book we see Dewey Dell described and portrayed in very physical, sensual terms. How does Dewey Dell get around talking about sex with Lafe, and what is odd about Dewey Dell's outlook on the whole episode? What makes this passage humorous?

Additionally, note the conflict being set up between Dewey Dell and Darl. Why is Dewey Dell worried about Darl?

Cora II (21-25)

"Cora Explains It All"

In this chapter, Cora turns out to be kind of self-righteous...a real treat. Among other things, she accuses Jewel of valuing $3 more than a good-bye kiss.

As it turns out, Cora has been coming over for the past three weeks to be with Addie in her final moments "so...she would not have to face the Great Unknown without one familiar face to give her courage" (22).

Cora has accumulated a number of negative opinions toward the Bundren family. Think about what they are.

She doesn't understand Addie's desire to be buried in Jefferson. Addie's reason, which will be fully understood only much later, is an important one.

Cora attributes Addie's wanting to be propped up to a nasty motivation. What is it?

Dewey Dell appears to be too sad for words. What does Cora accuse Dewey Dell of?

Cora defends Darl, surprisingly, but does it in a backhanded way...saying that people say he is "queer" and "lazy" (24). By "queer," Faulkner means strange (this is 1929, remember.)

Based on what you have read so far, is Cora a reliable narrator?

Darl III (16-18)

"One Load Before Addie Goes"

Okay, kiddies. Darl thinks his father is lazy and worthless. Which he is. Anse thinks that if Addie dies, she'll be disappointed if they couldn't start out immediately for Jefferson. Darl says if she dies, they'll need the $3.00 they'd get from selling the wood. ($3.00 was a considerable amount back then.)

The conflict between Darl and Jewel continues. Watch this one. Jewel's eyes are described as "pale wood" (17) and Jewel is said to have "pale wooden eyes" (18). What are we supposed to be picking up here?

Jewel, according to Darl, was both whipped more and petted more by Addie. Adse accuses Jewel of having no "affection or gentleness" for Addie. Watch how Jewel acts whenever the subject is brought up, and how he treats the coffin. A lot of anger there.

Addie's family burying ground is in Jefferson, 40 miles away. A big jaunt by horse and wagon. Darl and Jewel promise to be back by tomorrow sundown.

Jewel (14-15)

"Jewel's Complaints"

This is the only section Jewel narrates, so pay attention.

Clearly Jewel is bitter about Addie's death. He complains about Cash building the coffin where Addie can see it, and concludes that he wants to impress her, just like when he was a boy. For proof, he offers a comical story involving the young Cash and dung.

Jewel complains that Addie is being crowded; he feels the non-stop fanning by Dewey Dell (his sister) is harming Addie because she's too weak to breathe in the moving air.

We learn about Cash and Pa's (Adse's) injuries. Jewel does not think kindly of either of these two men, either.

Note the three times "one lick less" is used with regard to the adze, just as "chuck" was used in the first chapter. Also pay attention to the way violent symbols are used with regard to Jewel, and Faulkner's combination of the funny and the dramatic--for instance, Jewel's pain about his mother's dying (expressed in violent ways) vs. the funny story about Cash.

Cora (6-9)

"Cora and the Cakes"

In this chapter we are introduced to Cora, as well as a number of other characters. Cora is helping out the household with some cooking out of a sense of Christian charity. We learn that she is entreprenurial, money-conscious, and more or less resigned to God's will, so she says.

We learn that Addie Bundren is old and wasted away, but not yet dead. She's covered with a heavy quilt despite the heat.

Cash continues on the coffin outside, unseen.

Darl II (10-13)

"Jewel vs. the Horse"

In this chapter we learn that Vernon Tull never went to town in his overalls, according to Darl.

Darl also spends some time describing Jewel's complicated nature. For example, he caresses the horse, and also abuses it, a la Mongo in Blazing Saddles. Well, maybe not that bad.

Faulkner talks about horses an awful lot in this book, especially with regard to Jewel. Pay attention to this theme.

An interesting word? Myriad.

Darl I (3-5)

"Walking 2 the Cottonhouse"

The edition we are using to study As I Lay Dying is the one to your right. Blog entries will be titled by character name followed by a roman numeral when necessary.

In addition to this, I have taken another cue from Adler and renamed the chapters. Why do this? It forces you to summarize, and it reinforces the story. (I like to make mine comical whenever possible, but of course, you will be the judge of that.)

It's a good idea to take note of first sentences: "Jewel and I come up from the field, following the path in single file." Is there any special significance to this? Maybe, but I don't think we have enough information to tell yet. Is it important that Darl has the first say? Again, we don't know yet.

Reading through this chapter, we do learn that Darl is highly perceptive and given to noticing small details, such as the cottonhouse. He also devotes some time to talking about Jewel, whom he describes as having a "wooden face" (4). Darl will often describe Jewel in terms of wood...we need to figure out why.

Jewel goes through the house, and not around it, as Darl does. It is not explained why he does this, but can we make a guess? At the very least, we should keep this in mind.

We learn about some other people as well: Tull, who owns the wagon; Cash, who's building the coffin; and Addie Bundren, who will be put in the coffin soon.

Two neat things to notice: 1) the use of the word delapidation, which has an interesting etymology, and the use of onomatopoeia of Cash using the adze. "Chuck. Chuck. Chuck."

Instructor's Introduction to As I Lay Dying

This blog is being put together to help those High School Juniors fortunate enough to read William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying (1930). Aside from being a great read in and of itself, it's an excellent example of both so-called Southern Gothic and stream-of-consciousness writing.

We will analyze this book according to the fashion Mortimer Adler recommends in his How to Read a Book (1940), but where Adler recommends three readings for maximum understanding, I will only require one. Still, we will begin as he does by attempting to understand the structure and purpose of the book.

First, the title. As I Lay Dying obviously has something to do with death. Easy, right?

The second thing we do is flip through the book to see how the book is divided. Are there any logical divisions that pop out? As it turns out, the answer is a decided yes. There are 59 chapters, each with a character's name for the title. A brief scan tells us that the different chapters are narrated by those characters.

But that's not all they tell us. If we graph it out, we get the following totals:

Darl: 19, Cora: 3, Jewel: 1, Dewey Dell: 4, Tull: 6, Anse: 3, Peabody: 2, Vardaman: 10, Cash: 5, Samson: 1, Addie: 1, Whitfield: 1, Armstid: 1, Moseley: 1, MacGowan: 1.

Notice something? Darl has by far the most chapters. We might assume he's a fairly important character, and it turns out he is. However, just because the other characters don't narrate as much, it doesn't mean that they're unimportant. Jewel, for instance, narrates only once, but he is a central character continually referred by other characters. Another character who narrates is Addie, who is dead at the time! All this goes to show that we can't turn our brains off when we think we have something.

Why did Faulkner choose to have so many narrators? One reason might be to give a number (15!) of different perspectives on the events of the story. In doing so, a more "real" picture might be possible than if he had stuck with just one viewpoint. A famous example in film would be Rashomon, directed by legend Akira Kurasawa, in which an event is recalled by only four viewpoints (the hack!):



So when reading As I Lay Dying, be sure to take into account who is narrating at any point in time.

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