What happens in Chapter 31 of As I Lay Dying?
Tull narrates as he follows the Bundren wagon to the river, where the bridge has collapsed under the floodwaters. Anse sits in the wagon, gazing at the bridge with a mix of pleasure and surprise. Vardaman watches the scene unfold as if it were a circus act. Dewey Dell casts a hostile glance at Tull. The river has risen, submerging the land on both sides and leaving only a narrow strip of levee exposed. Cash examines the bridge, pondering if someone could make it across the planks and logs. Anse keeps insisting that if the bridge were intact, they could drive over it. A log floats by the jam, slowing down where the ford used to be, but Tull cautions that it might signify quicksand. Dewey Dell notes that Mr. Whitfield crossed, but Tull points out that he was on horseback three days ago, and the water has risen five feet since then. Tull suggests they wait another day. Jewel, his face shifting between green and red, tells Tull to return to his ploughing. Cash proposes that Dewey Dell, Vardaman, and Anse walk across the bridge. Jewel suggests Tull could help them and proposes hitching Tull's mule in front of theirs. Tull firmly refuses to let his mule enter the water. Jewel offers to buy the mule outright, and Darl questions Tull's reluctance to take the risk when Jewel is willing to risk his horse. Cash tells both Darl and Jewel to be quiet, and Tull reiterates that his mule will not go into that water.
Analysis
The chapter unfolds entirely through Vernon Tull's first-person narration, providing a neighbor's straightforward perspective that frames the Bundrens' ordeal from the outside. Tull's voice is informal yet keenly observant, and the chapter's main technique involves his detailed account of how each family member reacts differently to the sight of the flooded bridge. Anse sits mumbling, fixated on his refrain about the bridge being up; Vardaman watches with wide-eyed curiosity; Cash examines the wreckage with a builder's analytical gaze, the same one he wore while fitting planks; Jewel remains tense before bursting out; Darl says nothing but observes intently. The recurring theme of watching shapes the chapter—characters gaze at the bridge, at each other, and Tull observes them all. Darl’s gaze is particularly striking: Tull notes it gets "into the inside of you," a perception so intense it makes one feel vulnerable. The flooded landscape blurs the lines—river and land merge into "a tangle of yellow," with the levee no wider than a knife's edge—leaving the family suspended between elements with no clear way forward. The bridge, trembling and sagging, serves as the chapter's central image: precarious, half-submerged, and on the verge of collapse, it encapsulates the family's dilemma into a single visible symbol. Jewel's face, shifting between green and red, adds a visceral quality to his rage, and his eyes, described as "like pieces of a broken plate," fracture the image into something threatening. The chapter concludes with Tull's steadfast refusal, as his mule becomes the boundary he won’t cross.
Key quotes from Chapter 31
“If it was just up, we could drive across it”
Anse repeats this refrain while sitting in the wagon at the flooded bridge, spoken aloud to Tull and the family.
“It’s like he had got into the inside of you, someway.”
Tull describes the unsettling quality of Darl's silent gaze, which he says makes folks talk.
“His eyes look like pieces of a broken plate.”
Tull observes Jewel's expression when Jewel offers to buy Tull's mule after Tull refuses to let it enter the water.
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