Lafe
Text:
Character Key:
Display Name:
Lafe
Sort Name:
Lafe
Race:
White
Gender:
Male
Class:
Lower Class
Rank:
Minor
Vitality:
Alive
First Mentioned:
Biography:
The text provides very little information about Lafe, the father of Dewey Dell’s unborn baby. We do know that the day they had sex he was picking cotton in the fields with Dewey Dell, but whether he is a farmhand or simply working there because of his attraction to her isn't clear. Given the Bundrens' lack of money, however, the latter seems more likely. He gave Dewey Dell the $10 bill she carries to town to pay for an abortion. His name at least is very meaningful to her - "Lafe. Lafe. 'Lafe.' Lafe. Lafe." (62) - but it's not clear how much she means to him.
Note:
Steve has suggested that according to some commentators Lafe is a MacCallum, and more specifically the MacCallum later present at Samson’s farm. He, we are told, is Rafe’s twin, called Stuart in Flags in the Dust. Update: August 11, 2014 -- It appears that Cleanth Brooks has conflated the two characters in his index, it is not yet clear why he does that as he does not provide an explanation there. We decided to keep him separate from the MacCallum's.
Financial Status:
laborer (works for wages)
Individual or Group:
Individual
Character changes class in this text:
digyok:node/character/5656