The unluckiest man alive
I think it's safe to say that the last few readings have really shaken up our perspective on the characters. Character development aside, I think I can say with confidence that most people's opinions on Addie have really changed after reading her chapter, for better or worse. It's with this context that I want to chime in with my character opinions.
First of all is who I alluded to in the title of the blog post. Cash is subjectively the most selfless player in the journey. His only ulterior motive is merely to buy a record player that he can enjoy after a hard day's worth. What's more, he's also one of the few who deeply feels for Addie's death, as shown through his meticulous work on the coffin. Furthermore, he's objectively the hero of the river crossing, valiantly trying to recover the coffin while urging Darl to jump to safety. All of these isolated instances of Cash's bravery and selflessness make him my favorite character in this motley crew.
This sort of ties into another point that's been floating in my head for a while now: there are multiple heroes to this novel. We haven't heard Dewey Dell narrate for a while now, for instance, but we can still reasonably expect her heroic narrative to emerge towards the end of the year. Other side stories that we have yet to hear from include Jewel's, who already feels detached from the rest of his family. Even though Anse is starting to mold into the "main" hero of the story, I think that it's hard to say that there aren't any other heroes in the story, contrasting the Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou? where it's clear who the protagonist is. It's even more unclear since the story is told from various perspectives, which is a narrative device usually (in my experience) saved for multi-hero stories.
First of all is who I alluded to in the title of the blog post. Cash is subjectively the most selfless player in the journey. His only ulterior motive is merely to buy a record player that he can enjoy after a hard day's worth. What's more, he's also one of the few who deeply feels for Addie's death, as shown through his meticulous work on the coffin. Furthermore, he's objectively the hero of the river crossing, valiantly trying to recover the coffin while urging Darl to jump to safety. All of these isolated instances of Cash's bravery and selflessness make him my favorite character in this motley crew.
This sort of ties into another point that's been floating in my head for a while now: there are multiple heroes to this novel. We haven't heard Dewey Dell narrate for a while now, for instance, but we can still reasonably expect her heroic narrative to emerge towards the end of the year. Other side stories that we have yet to hear from include Jewel's, who already feels detached from the rest of his family. Even though Anse is starting to mold into the "main" hero of the story, I think that it's hard to say that there aren't any other heroes in the story, contrasting the Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou? where it's clear who the protagonist is. It's even more unclear since the story is told from various perspectives, which is a narrative device usually (in my experience) saved for multi-hero stories.
I honestly feel so bad for Cash. He arguably is the hardest worker in the family and has some of the worst luck. Not only does his dad take his hard earned money, Cash also re-breaks his leg and gets it set in cement which just sounds awful. I agree that it's hard to tell who the hero of the story is, or if the story even has one clear cut hero. I would like to hear Jewel narrate more though.
ReplyDeleteCool post. Interesting to read now that we've finished the book. Cash is certainly a valiant and likable character in a way that the other characters aren't, and for one real reason - we see him love someone or something and we see what that means. They teach you in acting that love is the most interesting and important emotion, and I think that really plays out here - Cash loves his mother. We see how hard he works because of how much he loves her. The other characters don't seem to love much of anything. Jewel loves his horse, but he's kind of evil to it. It's more like he loves control. Vardaman loves his mother too and a trainset, which make him a tragic character as well, but he's so young and we don't see him try to express that love in very many ways. Dewey Dell, while possibly being the most sympathetic character in the novel, is never shown to love anything - she spends the novel worrying and so it's hard to get a super clear picture of her. I don't know what this all means, but I think it's interesting. The principle of love in writing is a very powerful tool to show your readers how they should feel.
ReplyDeleteI think the obscurity of the main hero is one of the themes of the book. It’s so hard to make out a distinct character as the main character since every character exert some sense of heroism. As mentioned, Cash is selfless but Jewel is also selfless. Jewel could have run away with his horse but ultimately returns to the family. I guess Anse’s heroism is his determination to fulfill Addie’s wish to bury her in Jefferson(?). Overall, I think every character is a hero in this book. Great Post!
ReplyDeleteI really like your point about Cash's selflessness, because it's one of his most prominent characteristics to me, and I think that it's what makes me like his character so much. He goes through the whole story and we really only see him complaining about little things, such as people not listening to him when he insisted that the coffin wasn't level. Yet, despite the suffering he goes through with his leg and all the effort he put into building the perfect coffin for Addie, he gets very little recognition for his strength. He wants to see Anse's journey seen to the end, which is why he puts up with the pain of his leg all those days on the wagon.
ReplyDeleteCash is one of my favorite characters in the book, and I could definitely see him as one of the heroes in the story. Your point about his selflessness is very valid. Cash rarely complains and puts up with the pain of his broken leg (which Anse doesn't take care of at all). He also spends day and night building the best coffin possible for Addie. When the wagon gets hit by the log in the river, Cash, while holding the coffin and the reins, tells Darl to swim to safety. The kicker is that Cash can't even swim himself, so he's willing to accept the risk of drowning so the coffin can cross the river.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, the money he had to buy his gramophone was use by Anse (without his consent as well). Despite having his ulterior goal stripped from him, Cash still gives his all to the journey.
I honestly feel so bad for him.
The first thing your title made me think of was how Odysseus is often referred to as the unluckiest man alive, and given the loose connection to The Odyssey through the title, it made me wonder if Faulkner wanted Cash to be the hero. I certainly liked Cash throughout the book, even though he really shouldn't have refused to get professional, or at least competent help with his leg.
ReplyDeleteCash is unlucky, but he's not heroic in an Odysseus sense. I think Faulkner could kind of be turning the convention of the hero on its head here. Cash experiences hardship but nothing really comes of it for him, and that's a more contemporary understanding of suffering and its purpose/lack thereof.
ReplyDelete