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Daniel Armadi
Karen A. Navarte
ENGL 2328
August 5, 2004
Dewey Dells conflict
Dewey Dell is the fourth child, and the only daughter, of Anse and Addie Bundren in As I Lay Dying. “Dewey Dell monologues are characterized with unarticulated wishes, powerful but poorly misunderstood emotions, and weakness.” From the dialogue, Darl said to Dewel Dell that Addie is going to die and she will die before they get back from the lumber job. Based on the story As I Lay Dying, does Dewey Dell hates Darl or she doesnt? If yes, what is the reason? This paper will discuss how Dewey Dells attitude towards Darl is continuous with her weird dreams.
First, Dewey Dell is the fourth of five children from Addies Bundren. She is the only daughter of the family. One night, Darl, Cash, Dewey Dell and Vardaman went to New Hope. Cash and Darl are swimming. “Vardaman rise and go to the window and strike the knife into the fish, the blood gushing, hissing like steam but I could not see.” Vardaman is younger brother of Dewey Dell. “Hell do as I say.” Dewey Dell can persuade him to anything. On that night, Dewey Dells got a weird dream. “I rose and took the knife from the streaming fish still hissing and I killed Darl. She remembers a dream where she killed him. But it was only a dream. ” When I used to sleep with Vardaman I had a nightmare one I thought I was awake but I couldnt see and couldnt feel the bed under me and I couldnt think what I was I couldnt think of my name I couldnt even think I am a girl She remembers a nightmare where she did not know where or who or what she was, nor what was happening.
“Do you know she is going to die, Jewel?” Darl said. “It takes two people to make you, and one people to die.” I said to Dewey Dell: “You want her to die so you can get to town: is that it?” She wouldnt say what we both knew. “The reason you will not say it is, when you say it, even to yourself, you will know it is true: is that it? But you know it is true now. I can almost tell you the day when you knew it is true. Why wont you say it, even to yourself?” She will not say it. She just keeps on saying Are you going to tell pa? Are you going to kill him? “You cannot believe it is true because you cannot believe that Dewey Dell, Dewey Dell Bundren, could have such a bad luck: is that it?
Second, from the dialogue above, Darl knew Dewel Dells pregnancy but she didnt want to say anything. She is afraid that somebody else will know about her pregnancy. She hates Darl for knowing that she is pregnant and seeks revenge by betraying him. Her mothers death is deeply painful. Her feeling is very confusing because of her mothers