1. Understanding the Characters
As I Lay Dying

2. The basics Vardaman Dewey Dell Anse Jewel Cash Darl
For each of the characters listed to the right, answer these 2 questions in your RJ:
1. What has befallen this character?
What are the goals of this character?
Vardaman
Dewey Dell
Anse
Jewel
Cash
Darl

3. Discussion Character Problem Goal(s) Vardaman Mom died
Understand death
Dewey Dell
Mom died, pregnant
Grieve mother
Anse
Wife died
Keep promise
Jewel
Respect in burial, grieve alone
Cash
Coffin for Addie, burial, work on barn
Darl
Mom died, existential crisis
End the journey, bury Addie

4. With a buddy…
Discuss and identify the physical representation (symbol) for each of the Bundrens
Vardaman
Cash
Jewel
Dewey Dell
Find text support to back up each of your ideas

5. Character Symbol Support
Jewel
Horse
“I cannot love my mother because I have no mother. Jewel’s mother is a horse” (95).
Cash
Tools
“A good carpenter, Addie Bundren could not want a better one, a better box to lie in. It will give her confidence and comfort” (5).
Vardaman
Fish
“It’s [the fish] laying in the kitchen in the bleeding pan, waiting to be cooked and et. Then it wasn’t and she was, and now it is and she wasn’t” (67).
Dewey Dell
Cow needing to be milked
“You’ll just have to wait. What you got in you aint nothing to what I got in me, even if you are a woman too” (63).
Darl
Burning Barn
“The barn was still red, but it wasn’t a barn now. It was sunk down, and the red went swirling up. The barn went swirling up in little red pieces, against the sky and the stars so that the stars moved backward” (223).
Discuss each character and their symbols – tie to theme

6. Theme in the novel
With a buddy, create a theme statement for As I Lay Dying
Pair up with another couple and share your theme statements
Choose the strongest of the two and write it on the board