Lynette Gaines answers “Spoiler!: I don't understand why Darl is...”

A Goodreads user asked this question about As I Lay Dying:

Spoiler!: I don't understand why Darl is considered mad? His Pa at the end of the novel ends up with a new wife calling her Miss Bundren and the with the money buys hisself new teeth. Darl's actions of setting the barn on fire to stop the horrible venture seemed right to be but ended in his madness, or because he was mad all along?

Lynette Gaines Actually, pa introduced the woman as Mrs Bundren, not Miss. Guess he wasn't grieving over his dead wife so much after all. Seems like his main goal in…moreActually, pa introduced the woman as Mrs Bundren, not Miss. Guess he wasn't grieving over his dead wife so much after all. Seems like his main goal in his final years was to get a set of false teeth. What a loathsome creature he was. I wanted to slap him so many times!
As for Darl being mad, I think they were all crazy from being raised by such uncaring parents. Darl didn't seem any stranger than the rest of them and I can see why he wanted to get rid of that stinking coffin. He just snapped at the wrong time.(less)

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