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One of the more insightful, compelling aspect of As I Lay Dying is the meaning of the names of the characters and how they can elicit a deeper analysis of them as well. Darl's name can be derived from the word "darling"; however, Addie never truly loved him and that is why the word darling is not completed. Jewel's name is representative of how Addie views him as a diamond in the rough. Cash is symbolic of greed because he strives to capture the attention of Addie by building her coffin, as well as his mission to earn money is Jefferson. Anse is similar to the word "angst", since that is what he provides Addie during their marriage.
Of the more ambiguous names in the text is Vardaman's and Dewey Dell's. Vardaman's etymology is stemmed from the words "vard", or ward. Further analysis suggests that ward could be linked to ward house, or a home for underage orphans. but also a prison, implying that Vardaman feels trapped because his mother is dead and has nowhere else to turn. |
Dewey Dell's name hints at the idea of the word "dew", which could connote youth. Dew usually evaporates quickly, indicating that Dewey Dell's youth vanishes away rapidly, as she has sex with Lafe and MacGowan. Additionally, the second part of her name, Dell, means a young girl of a vagrant or homeless class. This makes sense since she seems lost, as if she has no place to go, as if she has no home to go back to.
sources cited: Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying. First Vintage International ed. New York: Vintage. 261. Print. Works Cited Friesen, Fay, and Charles Peek. "What's In a Name? Etymology and As I Lay Dying." Teaching Faulkner. Center for Faulkner Studies. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. . |
Erik Whalen, George Cunningham, Aaron Wierbinski