True+Motive+for+Cash's+Obsession+Over+the+Coffin

Throughout the story, Cash clearly demonstrates his obsession with Addie's Coffin. He is the one constantly chronicled by others as tirelessly working on it, specifically Darl who, on page 77, states, "in an instant Cash is wet to the skin. Yet the motion of the saw has not faltered, as though it and the arm functioned in a tranquil conviction that the rain was an illusion of the mind." This is but a snippet that describes Cash's obsession with the coffin. He also is constantly thinking about it, evident in how he continuously remarks about how its unbalanced, and once the coffin finally falls into the river, it is Cash who recklessly goes after it to the point where almost ends up dead.

My question is whether the avid care that Cash takes for the coffin is a sign of his intense love for his mother or an absurd love for his work of carpentry? Is this yet another example of tragic comedy in the novel or is it one of the few bright spots?1205281223

When I was reading the novel, I also noticed how Cash was always the one to take care of the coffin. I always just assumed it was because he loved his mother and wanted her to be buried peacefully, but now that TMc brought up his love of his carpentry I think that that could be a definite possibility. Throughout the novel the idea of respect is brought up, specifically for the children to respect their mother. I guess this is why I assumed Cash was showing his love for his mother, but now, I think that he just cared about his hard work on the coffin. By caring more for the coffin than his diseased mother who was inside he was not respecting his mother at all. I think that this is an example of tragic comedy in the novel, not Cash showing his love for his mother. 1205288285

I also noticed that it was never "oh the coffin is unbalanced I am worried mom will fall out" or "mom is in the coffin we are about to lose in the water." It was always about just the coffin not his mother inside. Maybe though his obsession for his work was even more so because it was for his mother. Sometimes people cope in different ways. To take an optimistic view, maybe Cash was using his gift to do something for his mom. Then again the characters are all a wee bit selfish, so I have a looming feeling that Cash was more proud of himself and his work than happy to do something kind. The trip, which should be about his mother, he has made into a focus on him and his handywork. It's sad really. I cannot understand how most of the family were hardly even phased by the death of their mom. Unfortunately I think Cash is another one of those family members who simply cares more about himself.1205289722

Jja, I see your point about Cash's comments. He never seems to be worrying about his mother, only the coffin that is carrying her. However, because of how Cash is portrayed throughout the rest of the novel, I think that it is a safer assumption to relate Cash's assumption with the coffin as a representation of his love for his mother. He obviously worked very hard to make it for her. His worries about it being unbalanced make me think that he just wants the best coffin for his mother to rest in. Throughout the novel, Cash seems to be one of the sole "normal" Bundren. He works hard and doesn't complain about his broken leg. He doesn't want to be a hindrance on the family or delay their journey. We also get insight into Cash's personality through his name. Think of Cash as cash money... Faulkner is telling us that he is something of value. I think that he has morals, so I think that his obsession for the coffin stems from his love for his mother. 1205353002

I'm not sure if I agree with the idea that Cash's working so hard on the coffin is a sign of intense love for his mother. To me, it came off as more of a way for him to separate himself from the family so he wouldn't have to witness her death. I don't think that means he "intensely loves her" per se, I think it just means that he doesn't want to be around her when she dies. I mean, I wouldn't want to be around anyone when they died, even if I didn't like them. None of the family members except for Vardamon seemed to show that much remorse when Addie finally did pass away, including Cash, so I don't necessarily agree that his endless focus on building the coffin insinuates that he truly loved Addie. I think it was just a way for Cash to disconnect from the situation and avoid having to talk to people about it. 1205370740

Looking back I now notice what JJa is talking about. He shows no concern for his mother who is inside the coffin. He is completely focused on the well being of the coffin. However, like JJa said this may be how Cash dealt with the worrying about his mother. Earlier, TMc quoted a section of the novel where Cash is building the coffin for his mother. In this moment it seems that Cash is overcome with emotion. I think that this description shows that he cared for his mother and is worried about her being in that coffin. Maybe he took all of that emotion and focused in on making a sturdy coffin for her. We know that he cared about his mother a great deal throughout the novel and there was never a moment where he decided to stop caring. I think that his emotions have a great deal to do with Cash in this part. He is dealing with his emotions in a different manner.1205371908

I think that Cash is very emotionally attached and cares for his mother very much which is exactly why he puts all of his energy into building the coffin. Now this may seem a little backwards but just bear with me. If Cash did not care for his mother he wouldn't have put as much time and energy into the coffin that he did. He worked on it through the rain and even showed her the boards and such when she wanted him to show them so that she would know that she would be put into a proper burial place. Yet, if he cared about her why didn't he put as much energy into her or why does he seem to care only about the coffin and not the contents? The reason for this is because he cares for his mother he cannot accept that she is dead. So like Vardaman he has to come up with a way to accept that his mother is dead. So he puts all of his energy into the coffin knowing that he is still showing care for his mother but also knowing that by putting all of the attention in the coffin he can get lost in the work an at least try to pretend that the coffin was just another worok until he can deal with the fact that his mother is gone. user:DGr-c

I think we could have this debate all day, but this would only segregate us into optimistic and pessimistic people. Let's take a look at what Cash himself has to say about the whole ordeal. His very first chapter is about his construction of the coffin. His first line? "I made it on the bevel." He then makes several more comments extoling the virtue of the bevel. This hardly seems like affectionate talk. We'd like to assume that "It makes a neater job" is code for "I want my mom to be happy in her coffin that i am making for her," but it could just as easily mean "I am one heck of a carpenter." But just because one section is unaffectionate does not mean he doesn't love his mother. Perhaps he was trying to stay detached because he was too upset to cope otherwise.

And every entry he has is very similar to this one. He makes hardly any mention of his mother at all; one of the only times I noticed that he mentioned her was at the very end of the novel. "Pa was coming along with that kind of daresome and hangdog look all at once like when he has been up to something he knows ma aint going to like..." And I don't see much support in the other readings to suggest that he had real affection for her. What occurs to me is that he just dislikes the whole business. He probably did not like the mess that she was making. He seems to be the type of character who, if he ever admitted to being unhappy, would likely have been upset at his mother for dying. Her death was going against the regular facts of his life. He tried to cover that up with a well made coffin. But then they left her to rot and he had to contend with the smell. And he admitted that he would have liked to follow Darl's plan, only that would involve breaking the rules. I just think his mind was to structured to care. He liked her after his own fashion, but her death did not upset him the way we wish he had. The coffin was not pride, though, but a desire to keep things nice and neat. 1205455307

Like you said he dosn't really mention his mother at all but there is the point in the beginning where he is showing her the boards to her coffin for her to see and appove of showing that he knows that he is building it for her and that he cares enough about her that he wants to make sure that the coffin that she will be laid in will be good enough for her. Now I realize that the silence afterwards is louder than any sort of condemnation that he could have brought up but I think that it is there not because mentioning his mother will bring him out of order but because if he acknoledges that his mother is in the coffin then he will acknowledge his mother's death and if he thinks about his mother in another way then he will also have to deal with the fact that she isnt there. So to deal with the pain and loss of death he tries to empty his mind of his mother so that he wont have to feel the loss. While you may interpret silence for not caring I still think that it is in reality a defense mechanism against lost just like Vardaman's saying that his mother is a fish is a defense mechanism against loss. Of course that oculd just be my optimism thinking. user:DGr-c