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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. How many people does Samson describe on the wagon in Chapter 29: “Samson”?

2. How far is the wagon past the mouth of the lane when Jewel approaches on the horse in Chapter 27: "Darl"?

3. What does Anse anticipate getting at the end of his journey in Chapter 28: “Anse”?

4. Anse exclaims to Addie that she’s lucky why in Chapter 58: “Dewey Dell”?

5. Where do the Bundrens decide to stop for medicine for Cash in Chapter 44: “Vardaman”?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. How do the Bundrens make a cast for Cash in Chapter 46: “Darl”? What does this foreshadow?

5. How is the river accident described through Vardaman’s perspective in Chapter 35: “Vardaman”?

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

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

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

9. What does Vardaman think about the setting and situation in Chapter 56: “Vardaman”?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's use of irony in As I Lay Dying. What are examples of dramatic irony in the novel? What are examples of situational irony? How does each example in the novel serve the story?

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

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?

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