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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 is the family's surname?

2. Who drives the carriage in the final scene?

3. What does Benji spend most of his time watching?

4. Where does Dilsey tell Luster to take Benjy?

5. Why does Mrs. Compson not want TP to drive the carriage?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Dilsey's role in the novel.

2. Why do you think both Caddy and Quentin continuously search for love elsewhere?

3. Describe Benjamin Compson's role in the novel.

4. Do you think Caddy spoiled Benjy too much?

5. Why do you think Benjy wants his sister back so much?

6. How does a tale of such hopelessness maintain such power?

7. Describe Caddy's role in the novel.

8. Why is Benjy's section so hard to understand?

9. Describe Quentin's role in the novel.

10. What does Benjy remember about his brother Quentin?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine Faulkner's life as a writer and a person. How much of the novel do you think comes from Faulkner's personal experience?

Essay Topic 2

Dilsey can be aggressive towards Jason. How do you think a black person role had changed in the 1920s since the days of slavery? Does Jason ever try to keep control of Dilsey?

Essay Topic 3

In what way does Faulkner express Benjy and Quentin's obsessive behavior? Why do you think Jason is the only narrator not to have obsessive behavior? What meaning does it give to his character and the novel?

(see the answer keys)

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