What's in a Name?
By Tyjhe Pengel, Jonah Palmer, Erica Cerchia, and Jason Liu
Considering that Darl's name is short for "Darling" and Jewel's name means "the chosen one", are any other character's names significant to themselves/the story?
Cash
In a very appropriate style for Cash, his name can be interpreted rather literally. Money is a very math driven, calculated system. It functions on raw numbers and logic. Cash as a character behaves in much of the same way: his sections of narration err on simplicity as he very plainly gives an account of that which has actually happened. In addition, Cash has the most applicable skill-set and is most likely the biggest source of the family's income. If viewed as a Christ-figure due to his endearing gesture of building Addie's coffin, great irony can be found in the fact that Jesus rejected worldly possessions such as money.
Vardaman
"Vard", in older Scottish, means ward. As a child, Vardaman lives in a very protective, sheltered, and warded world. However, the death of his mother pulls him out of that world, and as such, he can be seen engaging in odd behaviors such as calling his mother a fish and repeatedly mentioning members of his family as a reaction to his psychologically uncomfortable situation. Vardaman is also the last name of a Mississippi senator of the time who was a great proponent of white supremacy. Prior to the Depression, minorities were mostly seen in poverty, which was appropriate in such a belief system. During the Depression, even whites found themselves stricken with poverty, and as such, the idea of white supremacy was placed under scrutiny and surrounded by dissonance. His awareness of his poverty is evidenced by his desire to be a town boy so that he might be able to afford the red train he so desires. Again, such a theme is quite fitting for a child who is forced to contend with the idea that his mother can be dead in a world that is supposed to remain guarded and perfect.
Dewey Dell
Dew has a connotation of a new morning and beginning. In chronological sense, the beginning of a morning can be seen as similar to the beginning of Dewey's life, and as per the nature of dew, it evaporates over time, just as her youth does. As for the second part of her name, Dell means both fertile valley and a young girl of a vagrant class. As a poor "country bumpkin", Dewey's vagrancy is evident. Furthermore, her pregnancy comes as a result of her fertility, which is ironic, because she wishes to reject it. Her desire to regain her innocence later in her life through the abortion of her fetus has futile implications, as attempting to find dew later in the day is nigh impossible.
Darl
At first you may assume that Darl is Addie's favorite child. His name comes close to the word "darling" and would be easily misinterpreted as her favorite. As we progress throughout the story, we realize that he's not the "darling" that some may have thought he was to Addie. It ends up being ironic to the reader when this concept is realized.
Jewel
Jewel's name means "the chosen one" in old French. Gems and jewels in general are things of significant value. Going back on "the chosen one," he ends up being the favorite of Addie's children. Furthermore, she even says he will be her salvation and will save her from the water and the fire, both of which he literally does. As Addie's favorite, he is often the object of Darl's jealousy.
Works Cited
http://www6.semo.edu/cfs/tfn_online/dying_friesenpeek.htm
http://shslboyd.pbworks.com/f/Names+in+As+I+Lay+Dying.pdf
http://goo.gl/30MVaX
http://shslboyd.pbworks.com/f/Names+in+As+I+Lay+Dying.pdf
http://goo.gl/30MVaX