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. How old does Tull say his mother lived until in Chapter 8: "Tull"?

2. How much does Peabody say he weighs in Chapter 11: "Peabody"?

3. How far has Vardaman walked to reach the Tull residence in Chapter 16: "Tull"?

4. Who is the boy who walks up with a fish in Chapter 8: "Tull"?

5. Who is described as the only one of Addie's children that "had his mother's nature, had any natural affection" (19) in Chapter 6: "Cora"?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8. Why is Jewel Bundren angry in Chapter 4: “Jewel”? What does his anger indicate about Jewel’s character?

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

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

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

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 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 690 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample