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. Who does Gavin pick up from town?

2. Who plans to join Miss Habersham at the local jail?

3. Who is waiting in Gavin's office?

4. Why does the sheriff think that Lucas did not kill Vinson?

5. Who drives Miss Habersham to the jail?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way does Faulkner portray Miss Habersham as a strong woman?

2. Why do the people surrounding the jail quickly disperse when they arrive with the dead body?

3. Describe Crawford and Vinson's lumber business.

4. How does Aleck Sander show his bravery during the trip back from the cemetery?

5. How is the sheriff proven wrong in chapter six?

6. Why do you think Charles is so struck by Mr. Gowrie's grief?

7. For what reason does Charles think Lucas was not lynched?

8. Why does Gavin think Vinson Gowrie is buried in quicksand?

9. Why do you think Charles is so enraged by the behavior of the crowd?

10. What is different between the blacks in the north and the black in the south?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Faulkner is a native of the area he writes about and adhering to the rule writers should always write about what they know. Do you think it is obvious that Faulkner was a native of Mississippi? What difference do you think it makes to the story? Are there any moments where you think Faulkner does not portray a character or setting so well? What affect does it have on the story?

Essay Topic 2

William Faulkner is a American writer responsible for some of the greatest American novels of the 20th century. Examine Faulkner's life. What kind of upbringing did he have? What kind of education? What were the major themes of his work?Why do you think Faulkner's novels were so relevant in the mid twentieth century and continue to be relevant today?

Essay Topic 3

Faulkner foreshadows many of the events in the novel.

1) Define foreshadowing. What does foreshadowing give to a novel?

2) How do you think an author should use foreshadowing? Can it be under or overused?

3) Using two examples from the book discuss how Faulkner uses foreshadowing.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 798 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample