Jewel the outsider-maybe actually the insider?
Throughout As I Lay Dying, I’ve found the entire Burden family to be rather non-cohesive. They don’t confide in each other, they seem to show no sense of camaraderie whatsoever, and anytime they do interact, they seem to be in some sort of argument. I thought each child was equally as distant from the family as the others but throughout the reading it seemed as though Jewel was the exception.
Jewel narrates only one chapter in the entire story, thus I originally thought he would be a rather minor character, especially since he seemed emotionally detached from other humans. During the journey to bury Addie he rides separately from the rest of the family, he doesn’t talk to anyone unless it is vital. As the narrative went on though, more and more often Jewel was brought up; thus indicating his importance to the story. Though Darl refers to him as “wooden and solid”, Jewel seems like the thread that keeps the family tethered to Addie and the goal of their trip.
Though Jewel is genetically different from his other siblings he makes a rather sincere effort to fulfilling Addie’s wishes. Through Addie’s chapter, we learn that Jewel was born due to an affair Addie had with the preacher Whitfield. Addie had this affair to end the monotony of her life that drive her crazy, she thought Jewel would be her salvation, thus she had a soft spot for him. The way Jewel seems to show love is rather unconventional, as we see through how he violently, but occasionally tenderly treats his horse, which seems to be a substitute for Addie. He seems to be the only one without an ulterior motive for this trip. He’s rather attentive to the needs of the coffin, and has a drive to keep going. Even when Anse trades his horse for a team of mules, though upset, he still continues on the trip because of his love for Addie.
Building off of this, it seems that when Jewel’s horse is taken away, he finally realizes that he can show love directly for Addie without using the horse as a liaison. So while Jewel is like an outsider, he seems to care the most for Addie thus showing that the family isn’t as isolated from each other as the narrative lets on.
Jewel narrates only one chapter in the entire story, thus I originally thought he would be a rather minor character, especially since he seemed emotionally detached from other humans. During the journey to bury Addie he rides separately from the rest of the family, he doesn’t talk to anyone unless it is vital. As the narrative went on though, more and more often Jewel was brought up; thus indicating his importance to the story. Though Darl refers to him as “wooden and solid”, Jewel seems like the thread that keeps the family tethered to Addie and the goal of their trip.
Though Jewel is genetically different from his other siblings he makes a rather sincere effort to fulfilling Addie’s wishes. Through Addie’s chapter, we learn that Jewel was born due to an affair Addie had with the preacher Whitfield. Addie had this affair to end the monotony of her life that drive her crazy, she thought Jewel would be her salvation, thus she had a soft spot for him. The way Jewel seems to show love is rather unconventional, as we see through how he violently, but occasionally tenderly treats his horse, which seems to be a substitute for Addie. He seems to be the only one without an ulterior motive for this trip. He’s rather attentive to the needs of the coffin, and has a drive to keep going. Even when Anse trades his horse for a team of mules, though upset, he still continues on the trip because of his love for Addie.
Building off of this, it seems that when Jewel’s horse is taken away, he finally realizes that he can show love directly for Addie without using the horse as a liaison. So while Jewel is like an outsider, he seems to care the most for Addie thus showing that the family isn’t as isolated from each other as the narrative lets on.
Oh man, I didn't think about the horse thing that way. It actually makes a lot of sense. I thought it was pretty out of character for Jewel to just drop off his horse like Anse wanted, no real argument or "goddamn"-ing or anything, but if Jewel thought of it in terms of showing his love for his mother rather than in terms of giving in to Anse's whims, it seems a lot more reasonable. Then again, if everyone is only linked together by Addie (genetically or otherwise), it also seems like they're only getting along over her dead body or something.
ReplyDeleteJewel giving them his horse seemed more of an "oh well what can i do" gesture to me. he hasnt seemed to care about the coffin that much; when it gets lost in the river it seemed secondary to retrieving cash's tools.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, Jewel did save his mother's coffin from the fire. He single handedly rushed into the burning barn to pull his mother's coffin out. I think that this shows that he has some feeling towards the coffin and his mother.
DeleteYea... this family is pretty loosely tied down... if tied down at all. Jewel giving up his horse is quite meaningful - I mean, he secretly worked in the middle of the night to get it (that's dedication right there). It's interesting how Jewel only narrated one chapter in the story - maybe Faulkner wanted us to see his thoughts by showing us what his decisions are, making whatever we find about him the more meaningful (and in that sense the other chapters can be seen as a supplement to seeing what Jewel is like, which is total favoritism).
ReplyDeleteReally interesting interpretation of the horse liason thing, never thought of it that way. Yah I do agree that Jewel cared a lot for his mother, which is quite evident with the actions he takes throughout the book. As for Jewel's relationship with the rest of the family, I'd like to think he's more "fiercely independent" vs "isolated", I think he struggles with the gushy stereotypical love stuff. Quite similar to his mother in that respect.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Your explanation for why Jewel was able to give his horse away definitely makes sense, and I also have much more respect for Jewel now that I understand why he sacrificed something so precious to him. Although Jewel seems to be a very violent and even mean character at times, I also realized as I read the book that he does care, it's just that he is not good at expressing his emotions and desires. I gained a lot of respect for Jewel as the story progressed, especially during scenes such as the burning farm where Jewel sacrificed his body (specifically his back) to save animals and his mother's coffin. I personally agree with your argument that Jewel is the family member that cares the most for Addie.
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