Anse Bundren, the father of four children and husband of Addie, as portrayed in the book, is lazy, selfish, and lacks human affection. He is engrossed with vanity and his actions of self-obsession illustrate his priorities in life. His actions of not arranging a finer doctor, not saving the coffin, thinking of an opportunity to mend his teeth first, are all suggestive that he is very much preoccupied with himself.
Moreover, his wife's carcass, that he neglected for a long time, rots and smells in front of him, yet he gives more importance to the location of cremation.
This character is indisputably selfish and drenched in misconceptions such as supernatural energies, bad luck, which act as his vertebrae for survival.