When Darl is trying to tell Jewel about Addie’s death, he observes that “overhead the day drives level and gray, hiding the sun by a flight of gray spears. In the rain the mules smoke a little, splashed yellow with mud” (49). As Darl illustrates the world and people around him, this descriptions reflect his mindset, replicating his views and emotions to the outside community. Here, Darl, the novel’s most eloquent speaker, uses “gray” twice in one sentence to emphasize the melancholy feel of the line. Connecting with his first attempt to vocalize his mother’s recent death, this grim, gloomy depiction illustrates Darl’s inner sadness. Thus, Darl hides his grief in narration, mirroring his own feelings onto the recounted scene. Likewise, Darl describes what Dr. Peabody might say to Dewey Dell, if he saw her outward sorrow, “I would not let it grieve me, now. She was old, and sick too. Suffering more than we knew. She couldn 't have got well. Vardaman 's getting big now, and with you to take good care of them all. I would try not to let it grieve me” (51). Although this is directed at Dewey Dell, Darl never writes her name in this italicized conversation and there are no quotation marks, so it feels like Peabody could be addressing Darl or any other family member, as well as Dewey
When Darl is trying to tell Jewel about Addie’s death, he observes that “overhead the day drives level and gray, hiding the sun by a flight of gray spears. In the rain the mules smoke a little, splashed yellow with mud” (49). As Darl illustrates the world and people around him, this descriptions reflect his mindset, replicating his views and emotions to the outside community. Here, Darl, the novel’s most eloquent speaker, uses “gray” twice in one sentence to emphasize the melancholy feel of the line. Connecting with his first attempt to vocalize his mother’s recent death, this grim, gloomy depiction illustrates Darl’s inner sadness. Thus, Darl hides his grief in narration, mirroring his own feelings onto the recounted scene. Likewise, Darl describes what Dr. Peabody might say to Dewey Dell, if he saw her outward sorrow, “I would not let it grieve me, now. She was old, and sick too. Suffering more than we knew. She couldn 't have got well. Vardaman 's getting big now, and with you to take good care of them all. I would try not to let it grieve me” (51). Although this is directed at Dewey Dell, Darl never writes her name in this italicized conversation and there are no quotation marks, so it feels like Peabody could be addressing Darl or any other family member, as well as Dewey