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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. Samson believes that Anse's stubbornness is a byproduct of what?

2. What is carried away in the current in Chapter 35: “Vardaman”?

3. While the family is at Peabody’s, Anse says he is going where in Chapter 59: “Cash”?

4. What does Cash describe stopping to borrow in the house in Chapter 59: “Cash”?

5. Who tells Vardaman that Addie told him to hide her away from the sight of man in Chapter 49: “Vardaman”?

Short Essay Questions

1. What actions does Reverend Whitfield commit in Chapter 41: “Whitfield”? Why?

2. What is foreshadowed through Cora and Addie’s conversation in Chapter 39: “Cora”?

3. What is foreshadowed through Anse’s actions in Chapter 53: “Cash”?

4. What does Darl discuss in Chapter 57: “Darl”? What is symbolized through this monologue?

5. What are Vernon Tull’s impressions as they cross the river in Chapter 33: “Tull”?

6. What question does Vardaman pose to Darl in Chapter 47: “Vardaman”?

7. What is symbolized and foreshadowed when the family passes the sign for New Hope in Chapter 30: “Dewey Dell”?

8. What does Darl recall as the reason Jewel had been unable to stay awake when he was 15 years old in Chapter 32: “Darl”?

9. How do Jewel and Cash Bundren differ in their approach to the problem in Chapter 34: “Darl”?

10. What thoughts occupy Anse Bundren as the family travels in the wagon in Chapter 28: “Anse”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's use of symbolism and imagery in As I Lay Dying. What are some of the predominant symbols in the novel? What do they represent? What characters in the story have symbolic significance? How?

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 Darl Bundren in As I Lay Dying. How old is Darl? What are the notable qualities of Darl's personality? What happens to Darl in the course of the narrative?

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