As I Lay Dying

“My mother is a fish.” — Vardaman Bundren

As I Lay Dying follows the Bundren family’s arduous journey to bury their matriarch, Addie Bundren, in her hometown of Jefferson, Mississippi. Told through fragmented perspectives, the novel unfolds in 59 brief chapters, each narrated by a different character.

Early Chapters (1–19)

Addie Bundren lies dying while her family prepares for her passing. Her son Cash builds her coffin outside her window. Darl, the introspective son, observes the family’s dysfunction, while Jewel, Addie’s favorite, remains distant. Dewey Dell, the only daughter, grapples with an unwanted pregnancy. Vardaman, the youngest, struggles to comprehend death, famously declaring, “My mother is a fish.” When Addie dies, the family begins their journey to Jefferson.

Mid-Journey (20–40)

The Bundrens set out with Addie’s coffin in a mule-drawn wagon. Floodwaters force them to take a dangerous river crossing, where Cash breaks his leg, and the coffin nearly floats away. Anse, the selfish patriarch, refuses to seek proper medical care. Dewey Dell seeks an abortion in town, while Darl’s sanity unravels as he questions the futility of their mission.

Final Stretch (41–59)

The family endures further hardships: a barn fire, Darl’s institutionalization, and Jewel’s heroic efforts to save the coffin. In Jefferson, Anse quickly buys new teeth and remarries, while Dewey Dell fails to obtain an abortion. Addie is finally buried, but the family’s dysfunction remains unresolved.

Key Ideas

• The fragility of human existence and the inevitability of death.
• The breakdown of communication within families.
• The unreliable nature of individual perception.
• The burdens of grief and obligation.
• The grotesque and absurd in Southern rural life.