Addie's Sin

"I would think of sin as I would think of the clothes we both wore in the world's face, of the circumspection necessary because he was he and I was I; the sin the more utter and terrible since he was the instrument ordained by God who created the sin, to sanctify that sin he had created......Then I found that I had Jewel. When I waked to discover it, he was two months gone."

This chapter was a shock for several reasons. The first being the nasty unlikable nature Addie shows through her monologue. I somehow imagined Addie as a simple women who did as she was told and got nothing in return. For instance, when Darl told Jewel his mother was a horse I took that mean that she was exhausted to death much like a farm animal. This image presented me with a sad picture of Addie's life.  However, it seems I was VERY mistaken. The sad aspects of Addie's life seem to be brought upon herself by her actions and attitude. Her attitude toward death is an example of this masochistic attitude.  For this point I would like to ask a question. How does this new information change our view of the odyssey the Bundren's find themselves on?

The second reason I chose this chapter was due to the sin we learn Addie committed. It took me several readings to really understand what Addie had done, but the line that reads "the more utter and terrible since he was the instrument ordained by God who created the sin,..." This passage showed me that it was a minister that Addie had cheated with. (I also might have read ahead a little bit, which helped! Though I won't say who the father is for those who have not read the next chapter) Later in the passage after Addie has described her affair,in vague terms, we learn that Jewel is the bastard child of Addie's lover. This explains the favoritism that Addie has always shown Jewel. We also find that the next two children are simply an appeasment gift to Anse for her sins. What does this say about Addie's character? she is more complex than I originally thought, and I  believe this chapter has greatly changed the story. Now I simply don't know what to make of her.