Morality in the Bundren's Faith


Cora Tull was a big believer in religion and this was clearly represented in the novel.  She had scolded Addie and the Bundrens on their lack of spirituality.  Although she had no obligation to the Bundren family, she helped them after Addie's death merely because she believed it was her "Christian duty".  Cora saw Addie's death as a punishment towards Anse's poor parenting and lack of care for his children.  God's judgement on Anse had resulted in the chaos within the Bundren family in her eyes.  While Addie was alive, Cora had attempted to help instill faith back into Addie, but had little success.

The morality surrounding the family were low.  Anse's self-centeredness had driven a wedge between his children and him.  After Addie's death the only thing Anse thought about was his desire for a set of false teeth.  He had no concern towards the well-being of his children during this tragedy.  While she was alive, Addie had little morals as she resented her marriage to Anse from the beginning.  After Cash and Darl were born, she had little interest for them and somewhat resented their existence as she felt like they violated her freedom just as her marriage to Anse had.  She was the farthest thing from a good Christian woman as she had an affair with the minister, Whitfield.  This is also ironic as Whitfield is a man of God who engages with a married woman.  As a result, Jewel was born as a bastard.  Finally, Dewey Dell's pregnancy finalized the morality of the Bundren family as she had sex before marriage, which was typical sinful.  

Comments

  1. Camille WhiteOctober 14, 2017 at 11:20 AM

    Caroline, you have very interesting insights with the connection between the Bundren family's chaotic lives and their lack of a moral compass. A thought that I had regarding Addie's death, which I picked up on from Cora's chapter, is that Cora believed Addie dying was not "sad," but it was good. Because Cora is so religious, she believes that because Addie is suffering and in pain while she is alive, but once she dies she will not be in pain and will be in heaven, which was something that should be celebrated. To me, this is a viewpoint I would never have if someone I was close to, or was even acquainted with died, but I think that this difference in thinking is because Cora is such a devout Christian that she does not doubt that Addie won't go in heaven. I am a cynic, so I am skeptical on all fronts: Is there even a Heaven? and if there is, would Addie even be considered for Heaven?, or would she go to Hell for adultry and her cruel treatment of children.

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  2. UnknownOctober 14, 2017 at 9:39 PM

    Caroline,

    You touched on the self-centered attitudes of the members of the Bundren family. All the characters in the novel seem to turn inward in response to the death of Addie Bundren—whether it is manifested through Cash’s obsession with his casket or Dewey Dell’s (understandable) preoccupation with her pregnancy. But I think that this selfishness is evident outside of the Bundren family as well. Cora Tull, as you mentioned, only sees the world in terms of her relationship with God, and her excess spirituality prevents her from effectively expressing compassion to her neighbors in need—a value at the core of the Christian religion. Whitfield’s sinfulness and inability to physically confess his wrongdoings further expand the presence of religious irony throughout the novel (which might also suggest Faulkner’s criticisms of the hypocrisy of religion).

    Faulkner’s commentaries on the fragility of faith and the widespread pursuit of self-interest form a bleak outlook on the human condition.

    Ben

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