The Enigma of the Bundrens William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying has some rather interesting characters; among them is Darl Bundren, an enigma of the story. He essentially is the most articulate, as well as prolific, amongst the Bundren family and he is given most of the monologue narrations. Through him the reader has a better understanding as to what is going on in the story. He is depicted as mysterious due to his clairvoyant nature and aside from that, characters in the story also seem to notice his peculiar way of presenting himself. For example, when Cora says, “it was Darl, the one that folks say is queer, lazy, pottering about the place no better than Anse,” this line clearly represents Darl’s reputation between the characters (705). Towards the end of the novel, Darl is left in a tragic predicament due to his strange behavior and way of thinking; his emotions and rationality are put to the test when he clairvoyantly finds out about Addie Bundren’s death and personal secrets of the Bundren family.…show more content… Dewey Dell did not speak a word about the sexual relations she has with Lafe. It is Darl’s sixth sense that enables him to find out. It is particularly odd because, somehow, Dewey Dell is mindful that Darl knows about her pregnancy when she says, “And so it was because I could not help it. It was then, and then I saw Darl and he knew… And that’s why I can talk to him with knowing with hating because he knows (706).” The family seems to know about Darl’s instincts. Dewey Dell did not have to speak a word to him, she just realized by the way Darl was staring at her. This proves, in fact, that Darl is not an ordinary man due to unnatural way of recognizing truths. Dewey Dell plays a big role in Darl’s tragedy towards the end of the
