Collected Stories of William Faulkner Papers & Assignment Topics

Essay Topics/Writing Assignments

These 20 essay questions can be used as essay questions on a test, or as stand-alone essay topics for a take-home or in-class writing assignment. Students should have a full understanding of the text in order to answer these questions. They ask for a thorough analysis of the text.

1. What do you think is more important to Sarty in the story "Barn Burning," love or truth? Give at least two examples of each of these themes as depicted in Sarty's relationship with his father. Then describe Sarty's struggle to balance love and truth, and how this struggle led to his maturity.

2. The story "The Tall Men" deals with the realization that the motivations of actions are sometimes misunderstood. First, explain what the motivations of the marshal were when he came to arrest the two young boys. Then explain what the marshal assumed the motivations...
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