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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. What does Christmas do with the alcohol in the tins?

2. What do the townspeople do after Mrs. Hightower's death?

3. Byron tells Hightower that a ______________ discovered the fire at the Burden place yesterday morning.

4. How much older than Lena is McKinley?

5. What is the demeanor of the answer to #13?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Christmas take Mrs. McEachern's hidden money as she watches him do it?

2. The author uses the literary technique of a flashback at this point in the book. What purpose does this serve?

3. How does Lena rationalize the fact that Lucas has not yet sent for her?

4. Why does the fourteen-year-old Christmas beat the Negro girl instead of having sex with her like the other boys do?

5. Joe leaves the whorehouse and enters "the street which was to run for fifteen years." What is the significance of this statement?

6. Why does Byron Bunch spend so much time at his job at the planing mill?

7. How does trouble find Byron anyway?

8. Why does Christmas toss away the food Mrs. McEachern brings him after Mr. McEachern has beaten him?

9. What internal conflict does Christmas begin to experience this night?

10. Why is Christmas attracted to Bobbie?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Faulkner is a master at literary devices. Choose three examples of symbolism, metaphors, etc., and briefly describe them and identify the technique which they embody.

Essay Topic 2

Explain the mixed feelings Christmas must have when he trades the woman for the shoes of the black man and can feel his black blood manifesting itself in the physical world.

Essay Topic 3

What is the significance of the month of August in the book? What does its position in the year symbolize. The month of August is especially poignant for a few characters. Who are they and what does August mean for them?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 671 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample