Joshua Hayes

8/31/10

As I Lay Dying Essay

Griffo 12-2

Addie Bundren

Although having a small part within As I Lay Dying, Addie Bundren plays a key role in

the development of the story written by William Faulkner by influencing major decisions of

other characters within the story, the problems they face, and intensifying the portrayal of key

themes within the novel. Addie was a lonely woman who wanted to be noticed, and with her

death she achieved gaining the attention of her whole family as they embarked on a mission to

bury her in Jefferson with her family. Along the way, though dead, she causes mayhem

throughout the journey from stinking to the high heavens and to being sent floating down a river.

It is as if she were still craving for the attention of others even after her death, therefore

presenting her family with obstacles to overcome to prove themselves to her.

Addie’s death presents a new outlook on the theme of family and how a dysfunctional

one reacts when introduced to perilous events in which they are to save her body, in the attempt

to bury her where she desired in Jefferson. Her reasoning for wanting to be buried in Jefferson is

somewhat shrouded by the book and isn’t clearly presented, but the intentions were in some form

to direct her family’s attention all on her. If one of the family members was ever drawn away her

body would be either up a creek or in a burning barn. These events occurred often enough to

show that her family was far from being one body but was made up of separate individuals who

just so happened to be related. Nevertheless her dead body was the focus of this book and gave

new meaning to the word family by delivering a theme of chaos and lack of commerce between
family members. This presentation of “Family” as a theme is directly affected by Addie and her

death. The family even went so far as to turn on itself by ruining each other’s lives such as

Dewey Dell did to Darl by turning him in for burning the barn down which eventually led to him

being sent to an asylum.

The scene of the bridge crossing is a major example of how Addie affects one of her

children, Cash, after her death. Tull describes the water and it hazards with great detail and

wonders why they would even think to risk their lives to cross it. He states that the logs within

the confines of the waters are rushing so fast that they would fly out of the water. This obstacle,

or any obstacle, was not going to slow Cash, but because he went onto the bridge, “swinging

back and forth like a big old clock,” the body of Addie would be thrown from the wagon into the

river. This event would result in Cash breaking his leg, and you begin to wonder why he is so

intent on delivering her body to Jefferson and why he didn’t just give up? Addie floating down

the river directly affects the physical condition of Cash and furthermore puts him in a cast made

of cement which will tear the skin away when removed. Cash suffers a great amount of physical

trauma just because of his mother’s dead body floating down the river (Faulkner, 138).

Unlike Cash, Anse received exactly what he wanted due to his wife’s death. Anse tagged

along the whole trip with intentions of only getting teeth and a new wife, and due to the burial

place being in Jefferson he got what he had come for. Addie’s death was not something to mourn

over in Anse’s eyes; he saw it as a release and a way to start over with someone new. Addie’s

death showed the development of a character revealing himself as who everyone might of

thought to be, a no-good husband who in the end was just in it to win it.

Addie Bundren’s short lived character played a major role in developing, and putting

twists on themes, and causing differing effects on those around her by only requesting to be
buried with her family in Jefferson. Her dying shows a truly complex meaning of family and

how dysfunctional one can actually be. Addie’s dead body causes serious trauma to her son

Cash, but yet with her death it allows Anse to gain freedom and to have what he wants. Overall,

the character of Addie Bundren in As I Lay Dying plays a key role in the development of all

fields from themes to characters.

 Works Cited

Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying: the Corrected Text. New York: Vintage, 1990. Print.