Dilsey
Text:
Character Key:
Display Name:
Dilsey
Sort Name:
Dilsey
AKA:
Dilsey Gibson
Race:
Black
Gender:
Female
Class:
Free Black
Rank:
Secondary
Vitality:
Alive
Family:
Gibson
Family (new):
Occupation:
Domestic Service
Specific Job:
Cook
First Mentioned:
Real?:
No
Other Texts:
Biography:
As in The Sound and the Fury, here Dilsey cooks and cares for the Compson family and lives in a cabin on the Compson place with her own children. The story this story tells, however, occurs because Nancy takes her place as the Compson cook when Dilsey gets "sick" (290). Her illness is not described, but after she recovers she tries to help Nancy too: she talks with Nancy about her fears, suggests that Nancy ask Mr. Jason to "telefoam the marshal," and invites Nancy to spend the night in her cabin (297-298).
Individual or Group:
Individual
Character changes class in this text:
digyok:node/character/2250