Cash Bundren Character Analysis in As I Lay Dying

Cash Bundren is the oldest son of Anse and Addie. Cash’s most notable quality is his capacity for self-sacrifice. After enduring the pain of a broken leg in a cement cast, Cash characteristically says, “It never bothered me much.” Furthermore, Cash ceaselessly spends the days preceding Addie’s death making her coffin, demonstrating his pragmatic attention to detail and his very particular way of expressing affection.

Cash Bundren Quotes in As I Lay Dying

The As I Lay Dying quotes below are all either spoken by Cash Bundren or refer to Cash Bundren. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Self-Interest Versus Heroic Duty Theme Icon

“It won’t balance. If they want it to tote and ride on a balance, they will have …”

Related Characters: (speaker)

Related Symbols:

Page Number and Citation: 96

Explanation and Analysis:

“Jewel shouts at the horse…He is just above the top of the ford and the horse has a purchase of some sort for it surges forward, shining wetly half out of water…Cash is half turned, the reins running taut from his hand and disappearing into the water, the other hand reached back upon Addie, holding her jammed over against the high side of the wagon.”

Related Characters: (speaker), , ,

Related Symbols:

Page Number and Citation: 148-149

Explanation and Analysis:

“So I took Anse. And when I knew that I had Cash, I knew that living was terrible and that this was the answer to it. That was when I learned that words are no good; that words don’t ever fit even what they are trying to say at.”

Related Characters: (speaker), ,

Page Number and Citation: 171

Explanation and Analysis:

“It feels fine…It’s cold. It feels fine…It feels fine”

Related Characters: (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 208

Explanation and Analysis:

“Sometimes I aint so sho who’s got ere a right to say when a man is crazy and when he aint…It’s like it aint so much what a fellow does, but it’s the way the majority of folks is looking at him when he does it.”

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 233

Explanation and Analysis:

“It’s Cash and Jewel and Vardaman and Dewey Dell…Meet Mrs. Bundren.”

Related Characters: (speaker), , , ,

Page Number and Citation: 261

Explanation and Analysis:

Cash Bundren Character Timeline in As I Lay Dying

The timeline below shows where the character Cash Bundren appears in As I Lay Dying. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...a bluff, Darl notices a wagon with two chairs stacked on it, arranged by the Bundrens' neighbor Vernon Tull. The brothers continue walking to the top of the bluff, where Darl... (full context)

...cakes. Cora's other daughter Eula claims that Addie must either be listening to or watching Cash build her coffin. Then Darl walks in the door without looking at or talking to... (full context)

Jewel angrily dwells on the question of why Cash feels the need to hammer and saw loudly outside Addie's window, blatantly revealing to her... (full context)

Mortality and the Nature of Existence Theme Icon

...room and Dewey Dell intervenes to tell Peabody that Addie wants him to leave. Meanwhile, Cash diligently continues to build Addie's coffin outside, making lots of noise with his tools. Addie... (full context)

...Darl is somehow able to describe what is happening in Addie's room back at the Bundren home. Addie continues to call for Cash, though Dewey Dell explains that she is actually... (full context)

...two times but is ignored by his brother. Then Darl's descriptions refocus again on the Bundren home, where Cash has just entered Addie's room, filled with the rest of the Bundren... (full context)

...to be milked. Vardaman ignores the cow and hides in the darkness of the barn. Cash walks by without acknowledging Vardaman. Dewey Dell, who left the house to look for Vardaman,... (full context)

...between me and Lafe, like Darl did." Dewey Dell is distracted by the sound of Cash's saw, but complies with her father's request to make dinner. She prepares greens and bread,... (full context)

After Cash finishes Addie's coffin, Vardaman is disturbed that she will be nailed up in it. Dewey... (full context)

Tull recalls the moment in which he and Cora found out that Addie Bundren had died: Cora opens the door on a stormy evening to find Peabody's loose team... (full context)

Tull and Cora escort Vardaman back to the Bundrens' home, where Cash is still working to finish Addie's coffin. Tull helps him with the... (full context)

Darl once again describes what is happening at the Bundren home after Addie's death, even as he is still on the road with Jewel. Cash... (full context)

Cash proudly finishes the coffin before dawn—and Cash, Anse, Tull and Peabody immediately bring the coffin... (full context)

In a precise numerical list, labeled 1—13, Cash explains his decisions for making Addie's coffin on the bevel (on a slant). His most... (full context)

...outside to continue their conversation. Tull goes to the back of the house and sees Cash filling up the holes in Addie's coffin. They place Addie in the coffin reversed—with her... (full context)

...minister named Whitfield comes to the house to lead Addie's funeral, but first tells the Bundrens that the local bridge has been destroyed by the river's rising waters. Cash, Armstid and... (full context)

Cash attempts to explain why the coffin won't balance in an intense but short dialogue with... (full context)

Darl describes the experience of lifting Addie's coffin with Cash, Jewel and Anse. It is revealed that the family member who had cursed Cash (in... (full context)

Cash approaches the wagon with his tools, so that he can stop and help Tull fix... (full context)

...the wagon to bury Addie in Jefferson. It is decided that Jewel will follow the Bundren wagon from behind, though Cash suggests that Jewel just stay home. Darl reasons that he... (full context)

...Jewel catch up with the family in his wagon, and notices Tull wave at the Bundrens from his lot as they pass. Cash remarks off-hand that Addie's dead body will begin... (full context)

Tull feels as though he is the object of the Bundrens' scorn, noticing in particular Dewey Dell and Darl's cold stares and Cash's meticulous look, as... (full context)

...hears Jewel get up and climb out of his window, only to be followed by Cash. The next morning, Darl asks Cash what he saw but Cash dutifully keeps Jewel's whereabouts... (full context)

Addie is devastated that Jewel has kept this part of his life a secret, but Cash attempts to comfort her. In the night, Darl discovers Addie lying next to Jewel's bed... (full context)

Down the river from where Tull, Anse, Dewey Dell and Vardaman crossed, Darl and Cash proceed with the wagon to the ford. Jewel remains on his horse, following Darl and... (full context)

When Jewel, Cash and Darl attempt to execute their plan, a large log rushes toward them with the... (full context)

From the other side of the riverbank, Vardaman witnesses Cash's valiant attempt to hold the coffin securely on the wagon and to keep it from... (full context)

...explains how Jewel tightly gripped the rope keeping the coffin and the wagon within reach. Cash, however, was not able to swim and was rescued from the river in a highly... (full context)

Cash is found lying on the side of the river wet and unconscious, next to a... (full context)

Cash once again repeats the sentence, "It wasn't on a balance," referring to the coffin. He... (full context)

...in his younger ears. After Anse and Addie got married, she quickly gave birth to Cash and Darl, leading to her depression over the loss of independence and freedom. She declares,... (full context)

...the minister reaches Tull's home, one of Tull's daughters calls out to Whitfield that Addie Bundren has died. Whitfield decides not to confess, as no one in the Bundren family or... (full context)

The Bundrens strap the injured Cash on top of Addie's coffin. The family members try to talk... (full context)

The Bundrens then continue on and arrive at Armstid's house. Upon arrival, the family collectively carries Cash... (full context)

Meanwhile, Jewel returns to Armstid's house with a horse-physician to help Cash with his injured leg. The doctor orders Cash to drink whisky and Anse realizes that... (full context)

...must be more he gave over, Anse eventually admits that he also gave money that Cash was saving (to buy himself a graphophone, explains Darl), some money from his teeth fund,... (full context)

...number of buzzards, traveling in black circles around Addie's coffin. Vardaman listens to Darl ask Cash how his broken leg is feeling, and Cash replies that "It don't bother none." (full context)

Darl asks Cash if he should tighten or loosen the ropes keeping Cash tied down. Darl proceeds to... (full context)

...the water bucket and Darl begins to mix the cement to make a cast for Cash's leg. Cash repeatedly tells the family that he can wait another day to have the... (full context)

Cash begins to sweat because of his cemented leg and the temperature outside, and politely tells... (full context)

Vardaman notices that the barn is burning and therefore that it "wasn't a barn now." Cash's foot turns black from the cement cast, while Jewel's back becomes red from the fire-induced... (full context)

Anse breaks off Cash's cast and his leg begins to bleed. Darl then asks Jewel if his back hurts.... (full context)

The road-signs begin to suggest that the family is just outside of Jefferson. Cash is lying on top of Addie's coffin with shards of cement all across his leg.... (full context)

Cash explains that the Bundrens needed to send Darl away to an asylum in Jackson (the... (full context)

Still, Cash thinks about how nothing explains the act of burning down a man's barn and livelihood.... (full context)

Peabody reprimands Cash for allowing Anse to treat his leg with cement. Cash deferentially answers that the family... (full context)

Still, Cash answers that it never bothered him. Peabody answers that he probably means it never bothered... (full context)

The Bundrens—minus Darl —return to the house from which they borrowed the spades. Jewel suggests that Vardaman... (full context)

Everything you needfor every book you read.

Everything you need for every book you read.

Everything you need for every book you read.

Cash Bundren Character Analysis

Cash Bundren Quotes in As I Lay Dying

Cash Bundren Character Timeline in As I Lay Dying

Everything you need
for every book you read.