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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 claims in Chapter 29: “Samson” that he does not believe there is a bridge between them and where?

2. Who does Reverend Whitfield imagine going to confess his sin to in Chapter 41: “Whitfield”?

3. Which of the Bundren children is Reverend Whitfield the father to?

4. What follows the Bundrens’ wagon as they travel in Chapter 44: “Vardaman”?

5. Who comes up with a plan that compromises the other two plans in Chapter 34: “Darl”?

Short Essay Questions

1. What implications do you discern from Anse’s introduction of his children to “Mrs. Bundren” in Chapter 59: “Cash”?

2. What is significant about Cash Bundren’s mindset and concerns after the accident in Chapter 37: “Darl”?

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

4. What happens between Dewey Dell Bundren and MacGowan in Chapter 55: “MacGowan”?

5. How does Dewey Dell lose her money to Anse Bundren in Chapter 58: “Dewey Dell”?

6. How does Cash react to his pain and injuries in Chapter 44: “Vardaman”? Where does the family stop for medicine?

7. What suggestions are made for crossing the river in Chapter 31: “Tull”? How are the suggestions received?

8. What is indicated by Darl’s question to Jewel in Chapter 48: “Darl”? How does Jewel respond?

9. How is Cash’s condition described in Chapter 42: “Darl”? Where is the Bundren family going in this chapter?

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

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 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?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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