As I Lay Dying presents a tapestry of voices that together reveal the fractured reality of the Bundren family’s desperate journey. Among the narrators, Dewey Dell Bundren stands out as a complex blend of youthful vulnerability, desperate agency, and hidden resilience. Her chapters not only deepen the novel’s exploration of suffering and survival but also illuminate the gendered constraints of early‑20th‑century Southern life. This article breaks down Dewey Dell’s role, motivations, and symbolic significance, offering readers a comprehensive understanding of her place within Faulkner’s masterpiece And it works..
Introduction: Who Is Dewey Dell?
Dewey Dell Bundren is the only surviving daughter of Anse and Addie Bundren. On top of that, at fifteen, she is on the cusp of womanhood, yet she is thrust into adult responsibilities that clash with the expectations of a rural Southern community. Her narrative sections—scattered across the novel’s stream‑of‑consciousness structure—provide an intimate glimpse into a young woman grappling with unwanted pregnancy, family obligations, and the relentless pursuit of a medical cure that remains perpetually out of reach.
Key points that define Dewey Dell’s character:
- Pregnant and alone: She discovers she is pregnant after a brief, clandestine encounter with a traveling salesman, a secret that threatens her reputation and future.
- Seeking a doctor: Determined to secure an abortion—a taboo act in her time—she convinces her father to take her to the town of Jefferson, where a doctor might help.
- Caught between duty and desire: While the Bundrens march toward Addie’s burial, Dewey Dell’s personal crisis runs parallel, highlighting the tension between individual need and collective family duty.
Dewey Dell’s Narrative Voice
Faulkner gives Dewey Dell a fragmented, interior monologue that mirrors her mental state. Her chapters are marked by:
- Rapid shifts in focus – She jumps from thoughts about her baby to memories of her mother, to the physical sensations of the journey.
- Repetitive motifs – Phrases like “I’m trying to get a doctor” and “I’m ashamed” echo throughout, underscoring her obsession and anxiety.
- Sensory detail – Dewey Dell’s descriptions of heat, dust, and the pounding of the wagon wheels ground her emotional turmoil in the physical world.
These techniques create a voice that feels raw and immediate, allowing readers to experience the urgency of her secret and the claustrophobic pressure of her environment Worth knowing..
The Quest for a Doctor: Symbolism and Plot
A Journey Within a Journey
Let's talk about the Bundrens’ trek to Jefferson serves a dual purpose. On the surface, it is a logistical mission to bury Addie; beneath that, it becomes Dewey Dell’s personal pilgrimage toward bodily autonomy. The doctor she seeks represents:
- Hope for agency: In a society where women’s bodies are controlled by men, a medical professional offers the only realistic chance for Dewey Dell to terminate her pregnancy.
- Modernity versus tradition: The doctor’s presence introduces the idea of scientific intervention in a world dominated by superstition and folk remedies.
- Moral ambiguity: Faulkner never confirms whether Dewey Dell actually receives an abortion, leaving readers to wrestle with the ethical complexities of her desire.
Obstacles on the Road
Dewey Dell’s attempts are thwarted repeatedly:
- Geographical barriers: The journey itself is arduous; the family’s wagon breaks down, forcing them to continue on foot.
- Economic constraints: The Bundrens lack money to pay a doctor, reflecting the poverty that limits access to healthcare.
- Patriarchal interference: Anse’s indifferent attitude toward her pregnancy and his preoccupation with his own goals illustrate how male authority marginalizes her needs.
These obstacles reinforce the theme that personal salvation is often sacrificed on the altar of familial duty Nothing fancy..
Gender and Power Dynamics
Dewey Dell’s story is a lens through which Faulkner critiques the gendered power structures of the American South. Several aspects highlight this critique:
- Silencing of female desire: Dewey Dell’s internal monologue reveals a yearning for intimacy and control over her body, yet she is forced to hide these feelings, fearing judgment.
- Maternal expectations: The novel juxtaposes Dewey Dell’s unborn child with Addie’s death, creating an eerie parallel between motherhood and loss.
- Economic exploitation: Dewey Dell attempts to sell the family’s treasured cow, a symbol of wealth, to fund her medical quest, showing how women are compelled to commodify assets for personal survival.
Through these dynamics, Faulkner underscores how women’s voices are often fragmented, suppressed, and forced into the margins of larger narratives.
Dewey Dell’s Relationships
With Her Mother, Addie
Although Addie is dead for most of the novel, her presence haunts Dewey Dell. In Dewey Dell’s mind, Addie embodies both maternal guidance and judgment. She wonders whether Addie would have approved of her seeking an abortion, reflecting internalized expectations of motherhood Which is the point..
No fluff here — just what actually works Not complicated — just consistent..
With Her Father, Anse
Anse’s indifference is stark. He views Dewey Dell’s pregnancy as an inconvenience rather than a crisis. This dynamic illustrates the emotional neglect that fuels Dewey Dell’s desperation and pushes her toward secrecy.
With the Traveling Salesman
The salesman is the catalyst for Dewey Dell’s crisis. But their brief encounter, though never fully described, represents a moment of sexual agency that quickly turns into a source of shame. The lack of a name for the salesman emphasizes how Dewey Dell’s experience is less about the individual and more about the social stigma attached to premarital sex.
Scientific Explanation: The Social Context of Abortion in the 1920s
During the era in which As I Lay Dying is set, abortion was illegal in most of the United States, including Mississippi. Medical practitioners who performed abortions risked criminal prosecution and professional ostracism. Consequently:
- Unsafe procedures were common, leading to high maternal mortality rates.
- Women often resorted to folk remedies—herbal concoctions, self‑induced methods—that could be lethal.
- Societal shame deterred women from seeking help, reinforcing secrecy.
Dewey Dell’s frantic search for a doctor reflects a historical reality: a young woman trapped between a life‑threatening pregnancy and a society that offers no safe, legal recourse. Faulkner’s inclusion of this subplot adds authenticity to the novel’s depiction of rural Southern life.
Not the most exciting part, but easily the most useful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does Dewey Dell actually get an abortion?
A: The novel leaves the outcome ambiguous. After the family reaches Jefferson, the narrative shifts away from Dewey Dell, and no definitive answer is provided, forcing readers to infer based on context and thematic clues.
Q: Why does Faulkner give Dewey Dell such a fragmented narrative?
A: The fragmented style mirrors her mental turmoil and the broader modernist technique of presenting multiple, unreliable perspectives to construct a more complex truth That alone is useful..
Q: How does Dewey Dell’s story relate to the novel’s title?
A: While the title refers directly to Addie’s death, Dewey Dell’s hidden suffering runs parallel, suggesting that the “dying” also occurs within each family member’s internal world.
Q: What is the significance of Dewey Dell’s attempt to sell the cow?
A: The cow symbolizes the family’s limited wealth. By trying to sell it, Dewey Dell challenges traditional gender roles, taking on a traditionally male economic decision to secure her own needs.
Conclusion: Dewey Dell’s Enduring Impact
Dewey Dell Bundren remains one of the most compelling figures in As I Lay Dying because she embodies the intersection of personal desperation and societal constraint. Her fragmented voice, desperate quest for a doctor, and silent rebellion against patriarchal expectations provide a poignant counterpoint to the novel’s broader themes of death, duty, and the disintegration of the family unit.
Through Dewey Dell, Faulkner offers readers a raw, intimate portrait of a young woman fighting for agency in a world that denies her both. Her story resonates today, echoing ongoing conversations about reproductive rights, gender inequality, and the lingering effects of poverty on health access. By understanding Dewey Dell’s journey, readers gain a deeper appreciation not only for Faulkner’s narrative genius but also for the timeless human struggle to claim control over one’s own body and destiny That's the part that actually makes a difference. Simple as that..
