As I Lay Dying Characters

Darl is Addie’s second child and narrates sections 1, 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 21, 23, 25, 27, 32, 34, 37, 42, 46, 48, 50, 52, 57. He is probably in his late twenties.Darl’s Relationship to Jewel…is...

Jewel is Addie’s third child and narrates Section 4. His biological father is the Reverend Whitfield.If you look at the amount of times Jewel narrates in this novel, you might think that he w...

Anse is Addie’s husband and father to Cash, Darl, Dewey Dell, and Vardaman. He narrates sections 9, 26, and 28.Anse is a lazy man. We know as much because most of his neighbors tell us so and...

Cash is Addie’s oldest child and narrates sections 18, 22, 38, 53, and 59.Cash is the novel’s logical thinker, as evidenced in his narrative sections. He gives us lists, not paragraphs....

Dewey Dell is Addie’s fourth child and only daughter. She narrates sections 7, 14, 30, and 58. She’s also seventeen and pregnant.It’s not easy being Dewey Dell. She’s the on...

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.Before we start a character analysis her...

Vardaman is Addie’s youngest son and narrates sections 13, 15, 19, 24, 35, 44, 47, 49, 51, and 56.Vardaman’s thoughts are not easy to decipher, are they? His language is convoluted, tur...

The local minister. He has an affair with Addie and fathers Jewel.

The Bundrens’ neighbor. He narrates sections 8, 16, 20, 31, 33, and 36.

Vernon’s wife and the Bundrens’ neighbor. She narrates sections 2, 6, and 39.

The doctor. He narrates sections 11 and 54.

Vernon and Cora’s daughter.

Vernon and Cora’s other daughter.

Lafe is a farm worker, and also the father of Dewey Dell’s baby.

Samson is one of the farmers who lets the Bundrens stay with him one night on their journey to Jefferson.

Samson’s wife.

Armstid is the second farmer to let the Bundrens crash during their journey.

Gillespie is the unfortunate farmer whose barn Darl burns down.

Gillespie’s son (surprise!).

Moseley the anti-abortion pharmacy guy.

MacGowan is the sleazy pharmacy boy who coerces Dewey Dell into having sex with him.