Anse is a Crab

A few days ago, the first thought as I woke up was, “Anse is a crab.” Crab, like the sea creature. I don’t know what happened in my sleep to convince me that Anse is a crab, but when I woke up it felt pretty solid. I’d somehow proven it in my mind.

Thinking about the book though, if Addie is both a fish and a horse then I wouldn't be surprised if Anse wound up as a crab. Anse does have some crabby qualities though. When Anse is rubbing his hands on his pants, doesn’t that seem similar to a crab slowly opening and closing its claws? Thinking about his next move?

After pondering why Anse could be a crab for a while when I was awake, I couldn’t really find any evidence for him resembling a crab-- physically or personality wise. I guess the connections I made in my sleep were too deep to uncover while awake. Do you see any similarities?

I guess now I’ll write my actual blog post.

Anse Isn't a Good Person

As I was reading this book, my opinion of Anse declined with each chapter. At first I felt a little sorry for him because he seemed lost without his wife. But, as time went on and I learned more about him and his ulterior motives, that sorrow turned into dislike and anger.

Now, having read the entire book, I’m confidently saying that Anse really isn’t a good person. He seemed to love Addie for what she could do for him instead of for who she really was. And, her used Addie all the way to the grave-- to “get them teeth” and a new wife. Would he really honor Addie’s dying wish if he didn’t have to get new teeth?

Anse also never steps up to be a good parent. He put cement on his son’s broken leg, and then wouldn’t take him to a doctor soon enough. I mean, who endangers their children like that? He also never accepts much hospitality from people they meet along the way, making his children sleep outside and possibly even go hungry (the Bundrens aren’t mentioned eating food at any point except the bananas at the end). He also takes his children’s things and sells them to in exchange for poor looking mules. In the exchange he sold Jewel’s horse-- which was entirely Jewels because he worked to pay for it with his own labor-- and spent Cash’s money. To be fair, Anse also sold some of his own things, but Jewel’s horse was irreplaceable. Towards the end of the book, he also stole money from Dewey Dell that she claimed didn’t even belong to her. For a man who wouldn’t accept charity from those they encountered on the trip because he didn’t want to be indebted to them, he seemed very eager to take those $10 from Dewey Dell.

I think the icing on the cake for me really being done with Anse is when he finds a new wife. Anse, having scolded Darl on the trip for laughing at Jewel on his horse saying, “I don’t expect you to have no respect for me, but with your own ma not cold in her coffin yet.” takes a new wife not even two weeks after Addie dies (106). Doesn’t that seem a little disrespectful; getting new teeth and a new wife while being “hangdog and proud” after his wife just died? (260) To me that makes Anse seem like a huge hypocrite.