What Chapter Does Addie Die In As I Lay Dying?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

Addie is Anse's wife and mother to Cash, Darl, Jewel, Dewey Dell, and Vardaman (in that order). She narrates section 40, though she dies in

Section 12

.

Does Addie get buried in As I Lay Dying?

She is almost burned in the barn fire, but Jewel saves her. She arrives in Jefferson.

She is buried with Mrs. Bundren's spades

.

How many chapters does Addie have in As I Lay Dying?

The book is narrated by 15 different characters over

59 chapters

. It is the story of the of Addie Bundren and her poor, rural family's quest and motivations—noble or selfish—to honor her wish to be buried in her hometown of Jefferson, Mississippi.

What happens to Addie at the end of As I Lay Dying?


Shortly after Darl and Jewel leave

, Addie dies. The youngest Bundren child, Vardaman, associates his mother's death with that of a fish he caught and cleaned earlier that day. With some help, Cash completes the coffin just before dawn.

How does Darl know Addie died?

Darl leaves with Jewel to earn three dollars, wanting him along to help with the load. He predicts the timing of his mother's death. Darl is the only family member who knows of Dewey Dell's secret pregnancy. … He tells Jewel that Addie has died

while they're stuck in a ditch during the storm

.

What does the coffin symbolize in As I Lay Dying?

Addie's coffin comes to stand literally for

the enormous burden of dysfunction that Addie's death

, and circumstances in general, place on the Bundren family.

Why does Cash want Darl to Jackson?

Cash explains why the family has decided to send Darl to

a mental institution

in Jackson. He says that because Gillespie was prepared to sue the Bundrens over the fire, they had no other choice. The family drives into Jefferson. … Darl struggles violently, but his family, with Dewey Dell in the lead, helps to subdue him.

Why does Addie hate her father?

Her actions conform to her father's view that life is no more than a preparation for death. Furthermore, it is suggested many times that she hated her

father for having sired her

. Consequently there is no indication that Addie extracted the promise merely so that she could lie in death next to her family.

Why does Vardaman drill holes in his mother's coffin?

First of all, Vardaman didn't know he was drilling through her face;

he was only trying to drill through the coffin

. He thought his mother was still alive. If she's still alive, then she needs air, and she can't get air when the coffin is nailed close over her. So the answer is to put some holes in the box.

Who comes to sing over Addie's body?

Whitfield, the minister, arrives to perform the funeral as Tull is about to leave, and announces that the bridge has been washed away. The group discusses Addie's desire to be buried in Jefferson, and notes

Anse's

dedication to getting her body there.

Who is Kate in As I Lay Dying?

Kate and Eula Tull are

the two daughters of Vernon and Cora Tull

. They appear in the novel as additional perspectives counter to those of the Bundren family members, highlighting the Bundren's strangeness in conversation with their parents.

Why does Dewey Dell hate Darl?

Having no women around from whom she can easily ask advice, Dewey Dell is left to seek information awkwardly from the local pharmacies in the towns the family passes through. All the while, she

fears that Darl may tell someone

. Her hatred will ultimately find an odious outlet.

Why did Darl burn the barn?

In the early part of this section, Darl tells Vardaman that

he heard his mother asking to be hidden from the sight of man

. This is one of the motivating reasons behind Darl's decision to burn the barn. … Therefore, he wants to thwart their selfish motives and at the same time give his mother a respectable cremation.

Why did Darl go crazy in As I Lay Dying?

Gillespie's barn, leads the readers to conclude that Darl is insane.

His insanity is closely knitted with a major mental illness of the time Faulkner was writing

; Faulkner implicitly states that Darl suffers from PTSD. The novel, As I Lay Dying, was written right after the First World War.

What happens to Darl Bundren?

Darl Bundren, a central character in As I Lay Dying, narrates 19 of the 55 interior monologues that comprise this tour de force. … By his final monologue,

Darl sees himself as an onlooker, having lost his distinctness as character

.

Why didn't Anse send for Peabody?

Anse says he didn't send for Peabody sooner because he had other things to do:

he was looking after the boys who were working and he was thinking

. … Dewey Dell wants someone to find someone who can help her end her pregnancy; Anse wants to get a set of teeth for himself.

Maria Kunar
Author
Maria Kunar
Maria is a cultural enthusiast and expert on holiday traditions. With a focus on the cultural significance of celebrations, Maria has written several blogs on the history of holidays and has been featured in various cultural publications. Maria's knowledge of traditions will help you appreciate the meaning behind celebrations.