Upon his mother’s deathbed, Jewel has made the choice to perform hard manual labor for a payout of three dollars rather than visiting his mother for a final time. This being in the introductory phase of the novel, immediately causes the reader to recoil and cast Jewel as a selfish person. Moreover, Jewel portrays no emotion when hearing of his mother’s decease. Furthermore, when venturing out to bury his deceased mother, Jewel does not offer any assistance in areas of difficulty. In order to safely cross the Yoknapatawpha River,