As I Lay Dying: Character Analysis

Judgement from an outside perspective tends to lead to misconceptions about the individual. However, the way others perceived can be a direct reflection of who they actually are. In William Faulkner’s novel As I Lay Dying, the Bundren family travels to Jefferson to bury the recently deceased Addie and fulfill her dying wish. Along their journey, the Bundrens fight to cross a river without a bridge, battle with personal issues, and learn to cope with death in various ways. The character traits of Dewey Dell, Darl, and Jewel Bundren are developed through their distinct thoughts and actions along with the opinions of others.
Dewey Dell’s sexuality becomes blatantly obvious because of her actions and Tull’s thoughts about her. As Dewey Dell and

Lafe pick cotton, their intentions about what will occur once her sack fills become clear.

Dewey Dell realizes that Lafe intentionally puts his cotton into her sack. To justify her actions, Dewey Dell reasons that “… if it don’t mean for me to do it the sack will not be full and I will turn up the next row but if the sack is full, I cannot help it”(27). Dewey Dell’s justification of her sexual actions as fate leads to her unplanned and unwanted pregnancy. Dewey Dell feels vulnerable due to the fact that she is the only girl in her family, so her sexuality takes over. Dewey Dell seeks justification, but in reality she would still exchange the unjustifiable sexual favors just to fulfill her sexual desires. Living in a home full of male figures embarrasses Dewey Dell so she wants to explore herself, and Lafe gives her an ideal opportunity. Dewey Dell justifies her actions using fate so she can explore her sexuality and will have a seemingly desirable excuse to use on her family should they ever find out. Furthermore, Tull notices Dewey Dell’s stares when he tries to help the Bundrens cross the river. In his mind, Tull thinks “I can feel that gal watching me like I had made to touch her” (125). Tull openly hints at Dewey Dell’s sexuality when he notices her deep,

longing stares. Since her pregnancy, Dewey Dell’s mind always wanders back to her sexual thoughts. Tull, like most males, triggers her desires and longing stares which causes them to feel uneasy. Tull states that Dewy Dell’s intense stares make him feel like he must touch her, which proves that Dewey Dell looks at men, even older ones, with longing sexual desires in her eyes. Dewey Dell wants to fill the void that Lafe left, so seeing other men just further triggers her sexual desires. As a result, Dewey Dell casts longing looks at Tull in hopes that maybe her sexuality can be tamed and her desires can be fulfilled once more.
Moreover, Darl’s intuitiveness develops from his logical deep thinking which also happens to be his most noticeable quality. In conversation, Vardaman asks Darl what his mother is. Darl responds with “’I haven’t got ere one…Because if I had one, it is was. And if it is was, it cant be is’” (101). Darl discusses his recently deceased mother in terms of is and was to try and understand her death. Because of the lack of love he received as a child, Darl became very insightful. His logical insight is the only thing he knows how to use in order to make sense of her death. He concludes that she was his mother before her death, so now that she passed she can no longer be his mother. So, his twisted logic allows Darl to conclude that he has no mother. Darl tries so hard to rationalize Addie’s death that he refuses to acknowledge her existence. His mother’s death gives him another opportunity to delve deep into his intuitive mind and cope with her death.
Additionally, when Tull helps the Bundrens cross the river he notices Darl’s intense stares.

Acknowledging Darl’s fierce stares, Tull notes that “…it aint 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). Tull notices that Darl has the capability to expose a person with just one stare. By looking at an individual, Darl’s intuitiveness allows him to look through a person and see them for who they truly are. Darl leaves others feeling vulnerable, because he seems to uncover their darkest secrets. His intuitiveness causes people to distance themselves from him because they feel intimidated. Darl seems to be isolated from everyone, even his own family, so his ability to seemingly discover even the most hidden desires makes him a threat. With just one stare, Tull feels a sense of unieasiness because Darl’s intuitiveness allows him to get inside Tull and seemingly know all of Tull’s secrets as if they were his

own.
Furthermore, the animosity Jewel exhibits develops directly from his harsh language and his hardened, hateful demeanor towards others. Although Tull just tries to assist the Bundren family across the river, Jewell angrily lashes out at him and says “’Get to hell on back to your damn plowing…Who the hell asked you to follow us here?” (126). Jewel still resents Tull for asking for his help which caused his absence for his mother’s death. Jewel lashes out by cursing and trying to get Tull to leave because he feels Addie’s death should be a private affair. He does not want Tull’s help because he feels such a deep hatred towards him and blames him for his absence. Jewel’s callousness makes him seem harsh and uncaring, but he actually loves his mother so deeply and upset that he was helping Tull rather than being with her. Jewel’s animosity governs his thoughts and actions, so Tull becomes the next victim of his rage. Anger is the only emotion Jewel knows, so he uses it to communicate and try to deal with Addie’s death. Similarly, his deliberate disobedience to Anse’s request about riding on the wagon with the family is a direct result of his hatred towards his “father”. When Jewel selfishly refuses the request and mounts his horse instead, Anse comments that “’He would have rid that horse, too, … if I hadn’t a stopped him… A deliberate flouting… of me” (104). Jewel’s silent refusal to abide by Anse’s decisions shows his disregard for the man who raised him. Jewel’s anger stems from the fact that he has a different father than the other four children, so he lashes out when they try to interfere in his life. Jewel feels that since Anse is not his biological fatherthat he does not have to obey him. Jewel only cares for his mother and his horse, so now that she is dead his horse is all he has left. Jewel uses his horse as a coping method, so he wants to be alone with his horse. Jewel dileberately disobeys Anse and displays his animosity towards him to prove that he does not want to be a part of Anse’s family without Addie.
All in all, Dewey Dell, Darl, and Jewel all become better developed through their actions and the point of view of others. Not only having the physical actions of these three characters, but also receiving further justification from an outside character allows their traits of sexuality, intuitiveness, and animosity to become more evident. Tull is the main outsider that helps justify Dewey Dell’s, Darl’s, and Jewel’s traits. He notes the sexual desire in Dewey Dell’s eyes just from one look, and how the intensity in Darl’s stares leave him feeling exposed. Tull’s conversation with Jewel also reveals Jewel’s deep hatred and anger. Because of their individual actions and the help of an outside point of view, the Bundren children’s personalities and better shaped. Sometimes, and outside perspective can be strikingly congruous to who the individual actually is.