In the total body of Faulkner's writings, Dr. Peabody will appear in several works and always retain the same characteristics. That is, he is the overweight, friendly humanitarian, the person who grasps the very nature and essence of a person's character, but who is yet willing to devote his time to his patients' welfare. Indicative of this is the fact that he has on his account books almost $50,000 in bad debts. It is a Faulknerian technique to use the same character in many novels.
Consequently, when Dr. Peabody appears as one of the narrators in this work, the reader of all of Faulkner's novels knows immediately that this is an intelligent and reliable witness to the Bundrens' qualities. He is included so that the reader can have this outside objective view of the Bundren family, and he is the most objective commentator in the novel. For example, his view is essentially an accurate description of Anse Bundren.
Dr. Peabody also makes several other observations that are quite accurate. His description of Addie suggests that she is a woman who has lived terribly alone and that she is simply exhausted from having lived for so long with Anse Bundren. In fact, the doctor ironically or sarcastically suggests that it is good Anse didn't call him too soon because he might have been able to save Addie Bundren and prolong her unbearable life for additional years with such a person as Anse Bundren.
