Vardaman's Rage

[aspera9]

In his chapter starting on pg 53 and in Dewey Dell's chapter on pg 63, Vardaman is reacting to the news of his mother's death. He is crying loudly and becoming violent. Multiple times Vardaman mentions a person or a 'he' who he believes has killed his mother. Any insight on to whom Vardaman is referring? Any ideas or opinions on his mental state in this moment or throughout the part of the novel that we have read?

[rjakubovic9]

I know that we speculated in class as to whether there is a more serious underlying developmental problem, but I see no concrete evidence of this thus far. I think that Vardaman is just reacting like an imaginative young boy who's just lost his mother. In regards to who Vardaman is referring to by "he," I think it could possibly be Peabody because Vardaman beats Peabody's team of horses. In a child's mind, the stranger who had just shown up as his mother dies is a very likely suspect.

[kmarino9]

This part stood out for me too! Not only because of his violent rage at the death of his mother (since obviously that is normal for a grieving child who just lost his mother) but also of his almost deteriorated mental state. First I believe there is a part of Vardaman which is actually grieving normally because in Darl's perspective in the chapter before, Addie's eyes turn to him as she dies. I think with the death of his mother, he feels truly alone. On page 55 he tells the cow that "I aint a-goin to do nothing for them." I believe the "them" could be referring to his entire family, who seem to disregard him as a nuisance. Especially his father who I feel doesn't really connect with Vardaman, or any of his kids.

I think the "he" Vardaman is talking about is Peabody. Since he doesn't seem all together in his head I believe it is easier for him to understand if he puts the blame on the person that arrived directly before his mother's death. I don't believe he can mentally comprehend the death of his mother as a natural occurrence of illness and instead believes that with death, comes someone who "killed her". Peabody is supposed to be the doctor that saved his mother yet with his arrival, came the last moments of Addie's life.