Cash Bundren

Jewel Bundren

Brothers with a tense, unspoken rivalry, yet bound by shared duty and Addie's death.

Darl Bundren

Close brothers; Cash is loyal and practical while Darl is introspective, creating a quiet bond.

Dewey Dell Bundren

Brother and sister; Cash is protective and steady, while Dewey Dell is preoccupied with her own secret.

Vernon Tull

Mutual respect between a practical carpenter and a helpful neighbor; Tull admires Cash's skill.

Anse Bundren

Father and son; Anse relies on Cash's labor and craftsmanship but shows little gratitude or affection.

Armstid

Neighbor and helper; Armstid respects Cash's hard work and helps with the wagon, but keeps his distance.

Cora Tull

Neighbors; Cora approves of Cash's industriousness and quiet nature, unlike the rest of his family.

Jewel Bundren

Brothers with a tense, unspoken rivalry, yet bound by shared duty and Addie's death.

Darl Bundren

Close brothers; Cash is loyal and practical while Darl is introspective, creating a quiet bond.

Jewel Bundren

Brothers with a tense, unspoken rivalry, yet bound by shared duty and Addie's death.

Darl Bundren

Close brothers; Cash is loyal and practical while Darl is introspective, creating a quiet bond.

Vernon Tull

Mutual respect between a practical carpenter and a helpful neighbor; Tull admires Cash's skill.

Darl

Working on Addie's coffin, fitting boards with skill and care.

Cora

Heard working with a saw and adze, presumably building the coffin.

Darl

Heard sawing in the background; Darl wonders if Cash also experienced similar adolescent awakenings.

Jewel

Mentioned as the one building the coffin under Addie's window, which Jewel finds unbearable.

Tull

Working on the coffin; focused on his carpentry.

Anse

Cash is referenced by Anse as having 'carpenter notions' and being unable to work due to a fall from a church, which Anse resents.

Peabody

Heard sawing boards for the coffin; Addie calls for him as she nears death.

Darl

Continues working on the coffin with steady competence; he is the first to announce Addie's death and remains focused on his task.

Vardaman

Cash appears briefly, limping up the hill after falling off a church. He comments on the broken hitch-rein and hopes the others have passed Tull's, showing his practical concern.

Dewey Dell

Cash is sawing wood and eating supper, his arms covered in sawdust and sweat. He asks about Vardaman and remains focused on practical tasks.

Vardaman

Cash is building the coffin for Addie, and Vardaman repeatedly asks if he will nail it shut, highlighting Vardaman's fear of entrapment and finality.

Tull

Seen working on the coffin with his saw; his new auger is broken off in the coffin after Vardaman uses it.

Darl

Works tirelessly through the rain to build Addie's coffin, showing meticulous care and focus.

Cash

Narrator and craftsman, detailing the technical reasoning behind the coffin's construction.

Tull

Filling holes in the coffin, his leg broken from a fall on wet planks.

Cash

Cash is absorbed in the craftsmanship of the coffin, insisting on beveling the edges for balance despite pressure to finish quickly.

Darl

Hobbles behind, warning that the coffin is unbalanced and needing another hand on the hill.

Vardaman

Carries his toolbox and plans to stop at Tull's to work on a barn roof, despite Anse's objections.

Darl

Suggests leaving Jewel behind and that he might stay at Tull's.

Anse

Sitting with Darl; alerts Anse to Jewel's approach.

Darl

Drives the wagon, comments on the smell and the coffin's imbalance, and cleans mud from the box.

Samson

Sits on a plank across the tailgate, speaks briefly about reaching Jefferson, and declines Samson's offer of a bed.

Dewey Dell

His head turns slowly as they approach, his face described as pale, empty, sad, composed, and questioning.

Tull

Calmly assesses the situation and suggests a plan for walking across the bridge.

Darl

Discovers Jewel's secret and helps cover it up; shows concern for Jewel's well-being.

Tull

Seen turning the wagon around after the crossing, preparing for the ford.

Darl

Drives the wagon, focused on the balance of Addie's coffin and the logistics of the crossing.

Vardaman

Hollers instructions during the crossing, though his broken leg likely limits his ability to help directly.

Tull

Struggles to keep the coffin braced, goes underwater, and is later seen floating face-down.

Darl

Lies injured with a broken leg, vomiting; his tools are lost in the river and the family works to retrieve them.

Cash

Narrator of the chapter, focused on the technical details of building the coffin.

Addie

Mentioned as the first child Addie refused to breastfeed after his time was up.

Darl

Injured from the river crossing, vomiting, and concerned about his tools.

Armstid

Lies on a pallet atop the coffin with a broken leg; his leg is set by Uncle Billy, and he asks for his tools, which Darl brings.

Vardaman

Lies on the box with a broken leg, enduring the bumps and refusing to slow the journey.

Moseley

Lying on a quilt on top of the homemade coffin with a broken leg; the family buys cement to set it.

Darl

Lies in the wagon with a broken leg, insists he can last until Jefferson, and advises on the cement mixture.

Vardaman

Has a broken leg; Vardaman mentions fixing his leg so it doesn't hurt.

Darl

Suffers from his leg heating up under the cement; receives water from the family.

Vardaman

Lying on the bed with a sick leg, having it treated with water, says he feels fine.

Vardaman

Lying awake with a broken leg that has turned black; the family attempts to remove a flat iron that was placed on it.

Darl

Lies in the wagon with a broken leg, his leg encased in cement; speaks briefly to restrain Jewel.

Cash

Narrator; reflects on Darl's arson, his own injury, and the family's decision to commit Darl.

Peabody

Cash lies injured, having endured a broken leg treated with cement and a six-day wagon ride without springs, yet he minimizes his pain.

Darl

Cash lies on a pallet in the wagon-bed, eating a banana from a paper bag.

Cash

Narrates the chapter, reflecting on his leg injury, the graphophone, and Darl's absence.