As I Lay Dying: A Hero’s Journey about Sidekicks
Note that this blog post assumes you’ve read all the way to the end and contains massive spoilers for the end. Let’s take a moment to go over the end result of AILD for each family member’s subplot. Cash: his leg is maimed because of Anse’s trick with the cement, and he therefore will not be able to take the barn roof job, or practice much carpentry in general in the future. Darl: he goes insane for a variety of reasons and is sent to Jefferson™, possibly never to be heard from again. Dewey Dell: after Anse “borrows” her secret abortion money, she is stuck with her problem. Jewel: Anse has taken his horse, and he really had no other subplot. Vardaman: no indication on whether he got the train, but I suspect not because they have no money. Anse: gets them teeth. Buries Addie. Noticing a common thread between most of these resolutions? I certainly do. All the children get massively (and unknowingly) screwed over by Anse, while Anse gets the only happy ending the book has