As I Lay Dying is a 1930 novel, in the genre of Southern Gothic, by American author William Faulkner. Here's some analysis of characters in the novel to help you understand it, and therefore to learn English through reading and analyzing the characters in order to perceive the intended the context of this amazing masterpiece by William Faulkner.
Addie Bundren is the mother of 4 sons and one daughter. She is the wife of Anse, but she had an affair with a priest call Whitfield; which gave them Jewel the third son. In the story, Addie is the dying mother. Her will was to be buried in Jefferson after she died near her relatives. The oldest son Cach is the responsible for making the coffin. After Addie died, she stayed in the coffin for 8 days. Addie is not the typical mother (loving and caring mother), but she was a woman of her time (disillusioned). She used to whip her pupils when she was a teacher. After that, she whipped he children. She was unable to love her husband and children. For her love and motherhood were empty and meaningless. She thinks that words are created to fill the void in peoples lives who don’t experience something. Acts are more important than words. Life for her was about what her father used to tell her; “the reason for the living [is] to get ready to stay dead a long time”. She had a sense of nihilism (why we are born? What is life for?). She saw in Jewel her third son (from the affair) her salvation. It was a foreshadowing because Jewel saved her form water in the river, and from a fire in the burning barn.
Darl Bundren is the second son of the Bundren’s family. He is the most important narrator; he narrated most of the sections. He is the most rational character in the novel. He seems to understand and knows everything about others; his sister pregnancy, his half-brother Jewel... For others he is an insane person, that’s why they sent him to asylum at the end. He was born when his mother was experiencing some kind of insanity. He was for abandoning the coffin when the coffin felt in the river. Also, he set fire on the barn; which contains the coffin. He was obsessed with the coffin; because the body of his mother was decomposing and a stink smell was coming from the coffin. So he wanted to get rid of the coffin as soon as possible.
Jewel the third son form an affair with the priest Whitfield. He is most characterized with wood, and speaks a few in the novel. He was born when his mother was thinking that actions are more important than words (the word love is meaningless). He is a very violent person, and he is unable to express his love for his mother Addie. He loves his horse and refers to him as sir. He some kind express the love for his mother to the horse. Although His lack of expressing love and lack of communication with others, his action were more heroic by saving the coffin two times. He planned to leave the family after going back to James town.
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