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

3. Who does the narrator describe picking into the secret shade with in Chapter 7: "Dewey Dell"?

4. Where does Vardaman describe not being able to breathe in Chapter 15: Vardaman"?

5. Who fetches the rope to assist Peabody in climbing the bluff in Chapter 11: "Peabody"?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What is indicated by Anse’s superstitions about moving in Chapter 9: “Anse”?

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

4. What is foreshadowed in Chapter 20: “Tull”?

5. What scenario does Dewey Dell recollect in Chapter 7: “Dewey Dell”?

6. What does Jewel do when he family departs in Chapter 25: “Darl”? Why?

7. What does "luck" mean to Anse Bundren?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the plot structure of As I Lay Dying. Where in the narrative are the exposition and rising action? Where does the climax occur? What is revealed in the falling action and denouement of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Darl's arrest in the end of the novel. Why is he taken away? Where is he presumably taken? How does his family respond to Darl's actions and his being taken away?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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