View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Cora say "will break up a hen-house quicker than anything," in Chapter 2: "Cora" (5)?

2. What was Cora cooking that made Vardaman become crazed, according to Tull in Chapter 20: "Tull"?

3. Who does Cora say "admits that a good breed of cows or hogs pays in the long run" in Chapter 2: "Cora"?

4. Who does Dewey Dell sit next to in the wagon in Chapter 25: "Darl"?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What conversation are Vernon Tull and Anse Bundren engaged in, in the beginning of Chapter 8: “Tull”?

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

4. What is indicated by Darl’s assessments of his mother Chapter 21: “Darl”?

5. What is indicated by Anse Bundren’s behavior after Addie’s death in Chapter 12: “Darl”?

6. What is significant about Vardaman’s assessment of his mother in Chapter 15: “Vardaman”?

7. What actions and events comprise Chapter 22: “Cash”? How does the chapter end?

8. What religious philosophy is presented in Chapter 16: “Tull”?

9. What is the narrative style of As I Lay Dying? Who is introduced in Chapter 1: “Darl”?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's use of irony in As I Lay Dying. What are examples of dramatic irony in the novel? What are examples of situational irony? How does each example in the novel serve the story?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the author's use of symbolism and imagery in As I Lay Dying. What are some of the predominant symbols in the novel? What do they represent? What characters in the story have symbolic significance? How?

Essay Topic 3

How are each of the characters in the novel illustrated through the language that they use? How does the style of language differ among the narrators? How is the dialogue different from the direct narration?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 693 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample