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. Darl says in Chapter 3: "Darl," "When I was a boy I first learned how much better water tastes when it has set for a while in" what (9)?

2. What are the names of Tull's daughters?

3. Who repeatedly spits into the dust in Chapter 5: "Darl"?

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

5. Who does Vardaman blame for his mother's death in Chapter 13: "Vardaman"?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What is the main setting of As I Lay Dying? Where does the story begin?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 themes of loss and grief in As I Lay Dying. How does the author explore these themes through symbolism and imagery? How are these themes illustrated through character and setting?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the character arc of Anse Bundren in As I Lay Dying. How does Anse feel about his wife's death in the beginning of the novel? What are Anse's family relationships like? What does the reader discover about Anse in the end of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 730 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample