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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 is Addie compared to in Chapter 15: Vardaman"?

2. What does Tull say is the only burden Anse has ever had in Chapter 16: "Tull"?

3. Where is the wagon when Darl begins laughing in Chapter 25: "Darl"?

4. With whom does Darl return from the fields in Chapter 1: "Darl"?

5. What does Cora perceive as the sign that Addie has died in Chapter 16: "Tull"?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What sentence comprises Chapter 19: “Vardaman”? What is the meaning behind this chapter?

4. What is Tull's relationship to the Bundrens? What role does he play in the story?

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

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

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

8. How would you describe Jewel Bundren’s actions in carrying the coffin in Chapter 23: “Darl”?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the sequence of events in As I Lay Dying. Is the narrative presented in a linear fashion? What is noteworthy regarding the linear vs. nonlinear elements of the novel? Where are flashbacks or flash-forwards employed?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Addie's death and its impact on the Bundren household. How does each of Addie's children cope with her death? How does Addie's death impact Anse? How does it affect Cora and Tull?

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