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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. When does Tull say he got back with Peabody's team hitched to the back of the wagon in Chapter 20: "Tull"?

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

3. What is Addie compared to in Chapter 15: Vardaman"?

4. How long does Peabody say it's been since Anse was in town in Chapter 11: "Peabody"?

5. How much of the time does Cash say people are generally upright in a house in Chapter 18: "Cash"?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

6. Who is Lafe and what is his role in the novel?

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

8. What is indicated by Cash’s detailed list in Chapter 18: “Cash”?

9. What question does Darl pose to Jewel in Chapter 10: “Darl”? How does Jewel respond?

10. What is indicated by Kate Tull’s concern about the cakes that don’t sell in Chapter 2: “Cora”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the character of Addie Bundren in As I Lay Dying. Why do you think that the author chooses to include a chapter with Addie's first-person perspective? What does the reader learn about Addie in this chapter? What does the reader learn about Addie through the other characters?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the character of Jewel Bundren in As I Lay Dying. How old is Jewel? What are Jewel's relationships like with his parents? What are Jewel's relationships like with his siblings? What are Jewel's main objectives in the novel?

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