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The Real Mrs. Bundren To the living Bundren family, Addie is nothing but an entombed mass of rotting flesh. However, when Addie speaks in her own chapter from beyond the grave, it becomes apparent that she is much more than just a memory. The placement and content of her monologue seeks to enlighten the reader’s perspective by looking into Addies past and foreshadowing the future. Addies chapter proves that though she may be dead, she will not be forgotten. Until she speaks herself, Addies true nature is a mystery. The reader is left to question her, knowing only what the other characters reveal. Before marrying Anse, Addie was an independent schoolteacher in a nearby town. She took strange pleasure in whipping her students. “When the switch fell I could feel it upon my flesh; when it welted and ridged it was my blood that ran, I would think with each blow of the switch: Now you are aware of me!” Up until this point, the reader knows very little about Addies relationship with Anse, but she enlightens us. Their courtship seems to be an awkward one, and is encompassed by a loveless sounding phrase