The Bundren Family In William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying

In the novel As I lay Dying, William Faulkner introduces the audience to the horribly idiotic Bundren family. This novel is set around the family’s absurd journey to bury Addie Bundren, the recently deceased mother of the family. While on this folly quest, the remaining Bundren family consisting of Anse Bundren, Dewey Dell, Vardaman, Cash, Darl, and Jewel, perform several tasks that some may consider heroic, but in reality are quite foolish. Addie Bundren makes the first unreasonable move when she asks Anse, her husband, to bury her in Jefferson, her former home (173). This request, while it may seem admirable that Addie wants to be buried from where she came, is a ludicrous desire because she is asking her family to travel “forty miles” to bury her amongst her already dead relatives (22). This will give her nothing because she will already be deceased by the time her …show more content…
After Darl tries repeatedly to destroy Addie’s casket, such as when he tried to sink it in the river (150), he performs the most unspeakable act in his family. As the family is staying at Mr. Gillespie’s, the barn is set on fire (221). After the family leaves the farm, Darl is revealed as the culprit behind the burning of the barn because Dewey Dell turned him in to the police (237). Darl was just trying to stop his family from having to continue this quest to simply bury someone who is already dead. However, by burning down the barn, he has essentially ruined his life. Darl is arrested for destroying the barn, which is a hanging offense, and is sent to an asylum because his family betrayed him to the authorities, which ultimately causes him to go mad (249). While Cash and Jewel may have physical abnormalities because of their daftness, they can still continue to live their lives. On the other hand, Darl has effectively sabotaged his life in order to end a journey that would have ended on its