the conflicting agendas within a family tear it apart.

Every member of the family is to a degree responsible for

what goes wrong, but none more than Anse. Anse's

laziness and selfishness are the underlying factors to every

As the critic Andre Bleikasten agrees, "there is scarcely a

character in Faulkner so loaded with faults and vices"

At twenty-two Anse becomes sick from working in the sun

after which he refuses to work claiming he will die if he

ever breaks a sweat again. Anse becomes lazy, and turns

Addie into a baby factory in order to have children to do

all the work. Addie is inbittered by this, and is never the

same. Anse is begrudging of everything. Even the cost of a

doctor for his dying wife seems money better spent on

false teeth to him. "I never sent for you" Anse says "I take

When she does, Anse appears obsessed with burying her

all of the bridges to Jefferson are washed out, he is still

With money he has begrudged, stolen, and talked his way

another wife and false teeth in Jefferson. When it becomes

justifies his actions by an interpretation of Addie's will.

witness I never sent for you" (37) he repeats trying

his family. He is selfish whenever his need's conflict with

himself to be undeniably lazy as he makes Cash, Jewel,

himself the expense. Numerous times in the book he

wife for the price of a graphophone. What defies

Before she dies Addie requests to be buried in Jefferson.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Irving Howe, Andre Bleikasten, Jefferson Anse, Jewel Darl, Addie's Anse, Lay Dying, Snopes Anse, Anse Anse's, Armstid Sho, Dewey Dell, lay dying, cash's money, faulkner's lay, jefferson anse, false teeth, jewel's horse, faulkner's lay dying, william faulkner, drive wagon,
Approximate Word count = 607
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)