Vernon Tull is the kind of person you can always count on. He and his wife Cora Tull are farmers and the Bundren’s neighbors and though they are not rich they are slightly wealthier than the Bundrens. Though Vernon often becomes frustrated with Anse’s sluggish attitude towards work, he is always there helping the family out. Vernon gives Cash, Darl and Jewel jobs in order for the family to make extra money. He’s also in the family’s life throughout the entire book helping them prepare for Addie’s death, during their mourning and on their journey to Jefferson.
Through Vernon Tull’s monologues he reveals that he is a strong observer. He seems to view what other characters actions are and narrate them occasionally adding in his own thoughts or opinions. He also seems to have a respect for women given the time period he lives in. He often talks to Cora, his wife, about events which have taken place and listens to her ideas about them though also arguing his own.
It seems that Tull’s position in the book is to move it along. He is a secondary character who sort of continues to extend the plot through his observation and narration more than providing his own thoughts about life, or the events which occur as many of the other main characters do. Though he also provides a new perspective on the Bundren family different from the readers own thoughts of them based on their actions or actions of other characters outside of the family.
Some words which might describe Vernon Tull are an observer, a listener and one who acts not solely on his own wants and needs but what he knows he should do for the good of other people. These words best describe him in the way he narrates, as though he is just viewing what others are doing and saying thought not really interacting in the situations. He also seems like someone who despite his own personal opinions and feelings knows you must help your neighbors no matter who they are in their time of need.