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

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

Is Anse sincere in wanting to fulfill his promise to Addie,

perfection the role of the grief-stricken widower"

range from the greed of money to self pity. Instead of what

Eustace a farmhand of Mr. Snopes said. Anse steels Cash's

Irving Howe. "When they reach town, the putrescent

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, william faulkner, false teeth, jefferson anse, jewel's horse, faulkner's lay dying, faulkner's lay, drive wagon,
Approximate Word count = 678
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)