As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Master List of Characters
Addie Bundren—The dying character of the title, a former schoolteacher and wife to Anse Bundren; a proud,
bitter, and unhappy woman who insisted on being buried in her own family’s plot in Jefferson when she
died.
Anse Bundren—Poor white farmer, married to Addie; lazy, pathetic, and self-centered; hopes to buy false teeth
for himself after they bury Addie in Jefferson.
Cash Bundren—The Bundren’s first-born son; a skilled carpenter who has built his mother’s casket; injured
on the way to Jefferson.
Darl Bundren—Addie and Anse’s second son and the main narrator of the story; considered mentally
defective by others.
Jewel Bundren—Illegitimate son of Addie and Preacher Whitfield; Addie’s third and favorite child.
Dewey Dell Bundren—The Bundren boys’ pregnant, unwed sister, who hopes to get an abortion in Jefferson.
Vardaman Bundren—The youngest son of the Bundrens.
Cora Tull—Religious woman, neighbor to the Bundren family; always advising Addie to put her faith in God,
to be religious, and to ask God for forgiveness.
Miss Lawington—Woman mentioned by Cora Tull; gave Cora advice about buying chickens and selling her
cakes.
Kate—Neighbor to the Bundrens; visits Addie on her deathbed.
Eula—Neighbor to the Bundrens; visits Addie on her deathbed.
Vernon Tull—Cora’s husband; He accompanies the Bundrens part of the way on their journey to Jefferson.
Dr. Peabody—Country doctor who attends to Addie during her illness.
Reverend Whitfield—Hypocritical preacher who was Addie’s lover and Jewel’s father; relieved to hear she
has died without revealing their secret.
Lafe—Young male neighbor to the Bundrens; attracted to Dewey Dell.
Suratt—Man who owns a talking machine which Cash would like to buy.
Quick—He and his father sold a spotted horse to Jewel; attends Addie’s funeral.
Lon Quick—Raises shoats and sells horses.
Uncle Billy Varner—Neighbor to the Bundrens.
Jody Varner—Mentioned as Uncle Billy’s son.
Houston—Neighbor of the Bundrens; attends Addie’s funeral.
Littlejohn—Neighbor of the Bundrens; attends Addie’s funeral.
MacCallum—Neighbor of the Bundrens.
Samson—Neighbor of the Bundrens; lets them “store” Addie’s body in his barn overnight and notices a
buzzard hanging around the corpse the next morning.
Rachel—Samson’s wife.
Flem Snopes—Mentioned as the man who brought some wild horses to the community.
Snopes—Nephew to Flem; sells mules to the Bundren family.
Eustace Grimm—Works for Snopes.
Armstid—Neighbor of the Bundrens; attends Addie’s funeral; He lets the Bundrens stay in his barn when they
are on their way to Jefferson.
Lula Armstid—Armstid’s wife; Darl mentions that she offers to prepare food and lodging for the Bundren
family when they prepare to spend the night.
Moseley—Older druggist who refuses to give Dewey Dell the medicine to terminate her pregnancy.
Grummet—Owner of the hardware store in Mottson.
Albert—Resident of Mottson; tells Moseley about the commotion the Bundren wagon caused in town.
Marshal—Lawman in Mottson; speaks with the Bundren family about the smell coming from the wagon.
Mr. Gillespie—Farmer who lets the Bundrens store Addie’s casket in his barn.
Mack Gillespie—Gillespie’s son.
Three negroes on the road—Notice the odor coming from the Bundren wagon.
White man on the road—Comments on the odor from the wagon and nearly gets into a fight with Jewel.
Two officials—Law officers who wrestle with Darl in order to detain him for burning the Gillespie barn.
Skeet MacGowan—Druggist’s clerk who pretends to be a doctor; fools Dewey Dell into having sex with him
in order to “reverse” her pregnancy.
Jody—The second Jody encountered in the novel; another druggist’s clerk who works with Skeets
MacGowan.
“The old man” who owns the drugstore—MacGowan’s and Jody’s boss; the druggist in Jefferson.
Alford—Mentioned by MacGowan; either a doctor or lawyer to whom they might send Dewey Dell.
The new Mrs. Bundren—A duck-shaped woman with pop-eyes who lives in Jefferson.