Dewey Dell is the only daughter of Anse and Addie Bundren; she is also the second youngest on their children. Dewey Dell is first introduced as the young girl half naked waving a fan in front of her mother. From these first impressions one assumes that she is young and naive. It is also initally suggested that the other members of the family do not notice her as she is due to her insignificance in the family, this is demonstrated throughout the novel. For example she is at the side of the river during the river crossing, she is not called for on her mother's deathbed, etc. Therefore, form these actions one notices that Dewey Dell is an insignifcant child.
(Um I took a break... need food... I'll be back to finish I promise Ms. D)
Okay, so as I was saying... Dewey Dell is negligible to the family. And it is because of this that one can see that Dewey Dell does not focus on the problems of the family but rather is more focused on her own problems of pregancy. This is most noted when she says that she heard that her mother is dead, even though she was there when it happened. This implies that she was too busy with herself to take note of what was going on around her and she had to be told. This demonstrates her lack of intelligence as she lacks observation and analytical skills in realizing her mother is dead.
Dewey Dell's main focus in the novel is that fact that she is pregnant and wants an abortion. She has a deep connection with her brother Darl as she mentions how they can communicate without words and it is he who knows her secret.
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i already gathered most of the same impression of Dewey Dell as you have, however i hadn't noticed you're point about
ReplyDelete"when she says that she heard that her mother is dead, even though she was there when it happened. This implies that she was too busy with herself to take note of what was going on around her and she had to be told. This demonstrates her lack of intelligence as she lacks observation and analytical skills in realizing her mother is dead."
This is a very good point, one that i looked over previously. she really doesn't get that her mother is dead even though she was there. and she is fairly selfish too - after Addie died she went to the barn to....pleasure herself....with no though of her mother or what just happened at all.
i agree that dewey dell is unintelligent at times. However, i think that during her encounter with macgowan, she was relatively educated. Macgowan tried taking advantage of her but it seemed as if she understood what she was doing and that she was consenting. She knew that the drugs were probably not real but she was desperate and hoped that it would work. perhaps that is where she was ignorant.
ReplyDeleteAlso, dewey dell seems very caring. after the river crossing, when cash was injured and vomiting, dewey dell took the time to listen to his words and interpret that he wanted his tools. She also wiped his mouth with the hem of her dress which i think is disgusting and a very big sacrifice. she also seems to take care of vardaman more than addie did.