Alexa 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?

Alexa Like Cash says towards the end of the novel, it is mostly other people's perceptions that determine whether someone is mad. It is also stated that Dar…moreLike Cash says towards the end of the novel, it is mostly other people's perceptions that determine whether someone is mad. It is also stated that Darl is sent to Jackson because the Gillespies will sue the Bundren family if they do not do something about Darl, who they know is responsible for burning down their barn, which remember is a very serious crime in this time period & region.(less)

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