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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is sitting with Pa on the back porch in Chapter 3: "Darl"?

2. Who watches Darl pass through the house while touching her beads in the end of Chapter 2: "Cora"?

3. What does Dewey Dell say she is taking to town in a package in Chapter 24: "Vardaman"?

4. What environmental change does Anse blame for Addie's illness in Chapter 9: "Anse"?

5. Who is described as the only one of Addie's children that "had his mother's nature, had any natural affection" (19) in Chapter 6: "Cora"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are Cash Bundren’s feelings for his father illustrated through his actions in Chapter 17: “Darl”?

2. What does Vardaman do after fleeing the house in Chapter 13: “Vardaman”?

3. Why is Jewel Bundren angry in Chapter 4: “Jewel”? What does his anger indicate about Jewel’s character?

4. What are the individual agendas of the Bundren family members as they prepare to depart for their journey in Chapter 24: “Vardaman”?

5. What is the main setting of As I Lay Dying? Where does the story begin?

6. How does Peabody feel about his objective at the Bundren residence in Chapter 11: “Peabody”?

7. What question does Darl pose to Jewel in Chapter 10: “Darl”? How does Jewel respond?

8. What is indicated by Cash’s detailed list in Chapter 18: “Cash”?

9. Why does Anse Bundren complain about Jewel in Chapter 26: “Anse”? How does Darl respond when he sees Jewel?

10. How is Anse Bundren characterized in Chapter 5: “Darl”? How does Jewel differ from his father?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the character of Dewey Dell Bundren. How old is Dewey Dell? What qualities stand out the most in her character? How does Dewey Dell differ from the other members of her family?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the character of Addie Bundren in As I Lay Dying. Why do you think that the author chooses to include a chapter with Addie's first-person perspective? What does the reader learn about Addie in this chapter? What does the reader learn about Addie through the other characters?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the unique narrative style in As I Lay Dying. What characters are also narrators in the novel? Why do you think the author employs different narrators? Are any narrators more reliable than others? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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