Cora - As I Lay Dying

In the section titled "Cora" starting on page 21 of As I Lay Dying, Cora Tull is grieving over the imminent death of her neighbor Addie Bundren. However, what she finds most disturbing is that the Bundren family is not accompanying Addie at the end of her life. "When I lay me down in the consciousness of my duty and reward I will be surrounded by loving faces, carrying the farewell kiss of each of my loved ones into my reward. Not like Addie Burden dying alone, hiding her pride and her broken heart" (23). In particular, Cora is appalled with Jewel. Although Jewel has always been Addie's favorite child, Jewel is out trying to "earn another three dollars" (24) rather than comforting his mother in her final hours. However, Cora is partial to Darl. Cora notes that Darl is different from the rest of the Bundrens and shows genuine compassion for his mother. Although Addie has always favored Jewel, Cora explains that "with Jewel she had just been pretending, but it was between her and Darl that the understanding and the true love was" (24). This is significant because it characterizes Jewel as a detached character, and Darl as a more compassionate and full character. It also shows Faulkner's use of changing narrative to explore different perspectives on the events taking place in Yoknapatawpha.