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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. What are the people at the river doing?

2. What does Quentin's father sell to send him to Harvard?

3. Why does Benjy cry in the carriage?

4. Why is Quentin angry at Luster?

5. What does the wealthy banker promise to do for Jason?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do you think outsiders see Benjamin?

2. What positive effect does Caddy have on Benjy's life?

3. In what way can Benjy understand things better than most people?

4. How does a tale of such hopelessness maintain such power?

5. Why is Benjy's section so hard to understand?

6. Summarize the novel.

7. Describe Jason Compton's role in the novel.

8. Describe the two parents of the Compson family.

9. Describe Quentin's role in the novel.

10. What complaints does the female Quentin have about Benjy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine Faulkner's life as a writer and a person. How much of the novel do you think comes from Faulkner's personal experience?

Essay Topic 2

Compare the three monologues. What different styles does Faulkner use for each one? Do you think they portray each character effectively? Why do you think Faulkner writes the final chapter in the third person?

Essay Topic 3

What do you think Dilsey represents to the family? How do you think they would cope without her?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 691 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample