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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. Who has been living in the cabin on the Burden property?

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

3. What does Mr. McEachern see from his bedroom window one night?

4. Why does Christmas feel that something powerful is taking over his body and something irreversible is about to happen?

5. At whose home does Lena spend the night?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Christmas attracted to Bobbie?

2. Why is Bobbie attracted to Christmas?

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

4. What drives Lena to keep moving on her quest?

5. Why does Byron regret telling Lena that the man in town named Joe Brown is the man she knows as Lucas Burch?

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

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

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

9. How does Christmas realize that racial prejudice is not as strong in the North as it is in the South?

10. What does the dietician's pink toothpaste symbolize for Christmas?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does Byron assume that the stink coming from Hightower's house is that of goodness? Why can he not identify the odor as the stink of an unclean bachelor? Why does Faulkner use this imagery to drive home his points about the relationship between Byron and Hightower?

Essay Topic 2

Faith is an important theme in the novel. Give examples of faith from the book that exemplify what is expected of people of faith as well as some examples of behavior which is counter to those with supposed religious beliefs. What points is Faulkner trying to make by pointing out the disparity in beliefs and actions?

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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