At the beginning of the book, Faulkner Throughout the novel As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, the reader considers Jewel to be the most aggressive of Addie Bundren's children. He constantly argues with his brothers, sister, and father as they drive to Jefferson to bury his mother Addie, and he almost gets into a knife fight when they arrive in town. Due to her angry reactions and foul language, it can be difficult to recognize Jewel's significant impact on her family. Jewel is brave and makes sacrifices for his family even though the other Bundren do not recognize or honor him for his actions. Jewel may not be the most level-headed son in the world, but neither are his siblings, and he shows throughout the forty-mile journey to his mother's hometown of Jefferson that he wants to honor his mother's wishes. Addie wanted to be buried in Jefferson, and without Jewel, that wouldn't have happened. When it comes to his actions, Jewel shows that he loved his mother the most out of all his children. Cora maintains that Jewel is the worst of Bundren's children, even though Addie has also treated him as her favorite: Not that Jewel, the one she worked so hard to carry and pamper and caress, and him getting into tantrums or sulking spells, inventing a devil to devil her. until I had weakened him again and again. Not for him to come and say goodbye. So as not to miss an opportunity to earn those extra three dollars at the price of his mother's goodbye kiss. A Bundren through and through, loving no one, caring about nothing except how to get something with as little work as possible. (22) This description of Jewel is not true, however, and John Lowe states that "A good rule to follow with Cora as narrator is to believe the exact opposite of what she says" (9) C... ... middle of paper ... do anything for his mother. Darl sets the barn on fire, and it burns badly. Jewel risks her life and runs into the burning barn to save her mother. Sparks rain down on him and on the coffin. Jewel comes out of the barn with the coffin but her back is burned. However, he is willing to risk his life to keep the promise he made to Addie, even if his brother Darl tries to break it. Works Cited Faulkner, William. While I'm dying. First international vintage edition. Toronto, Canada: Random House of Canada Limited, 1990. Print. Hewson, Mark. "'My Children Were Mine Alone': Maternal Influence in Faulkner's As I Lay Dying." Mississippi Quarterly 53.4 (2000): n. page. Literary Resource Center. Internet. April 17, 2011. Lowe, John. “The fraternal fury of the Falkners and the Bundrens.” Mississippi Quarterly 54.4 (2001): n. page. Literary Resource Center. Internet. April 17 2011.