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As I Lay Dying
by
William Faulkner
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Summary
Chapter Summaries
Sections 1-8
Sections 9-16
Sections 17-24
Sections 25-32
Sections 33-40
Sections 41-48
Sections 49-59
Questions & Answers
Themes
Characters
Analysis
Critical Essays
Critical Evaluation
As I Lay Dying
Critical Overview
Sample Essay Outlines
Essays and Criticism
PDF Downloads
Lesson Plans
Short-Answer Quizzes
Unit 1 Questions and Answers
Unit 2 Questions and Answers
Unit 3 Questions and Answers
Unit 4 Questions and Answers
Unit 5 Questions and Answers
Teaching Guide
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What Do I Read Next?
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As I Lay Dying Questions and Answers
What are some allusions in As I Lay Dying?
What is the function of the italics in the "Darl" sections? HELP!
Who is Jewel's father, and why is this important to the story in As I Lay Dying?
In William Faulkner's novel As I Lay Dying, what does Vardaman mean by the phrase "my mother is a fish"?
What literary devices are used in As I Lay Dying?
What does Cash's list of the thirteen reasons for beveling the edges of the coffin tell the reader about him?
What details show the differences between the Bundrens and the Tulls, in terms of socio-economic class?
What role do "buzzards" play in As I Lay Dying? Or maybe in Jewel's mind?
What did Addie’s father mean when he told her that “the reason for living was to get ready to stay dead a long time” in As I Lay Dying?
In As I Lay Dying why does Darl say Jewel's mother is a horse?
Discuss the morality of actions in the novel As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner.
Which character is an unreliable narrator in As I Lay Dying? Who believes the road is the source of his family's problems?
How does the text As I Lay Dying show modernism?
Why does Dewey Dell hate Darl so intensely in As I Lay Dying?
What would be a good thesis statement for a "As I Lay Dying"?
In As I Lay Dying, we get multiple perspectives of the same event from individual characters. Using examples from the story, how does this novel make us read differently than a traditionally composed story, and what point might William Faulkner be making by writing in this fashion?
What are the most prominent social issues in As I Lay Dying?
What is an example of skillful artistry in William Faulkner's novel As I Lay Dying?
In Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, what is the meaning of Darl's thinking about sleep and being and not being? How is this Faulkner-esque? What is Faulkner's meaning of Darl's comment, "And so if I am not emptied yet, I am "is."
How does Dewey Dell explain why she got pregnant in "As I Lay Dying"?
What is the significance of the chapter in which Cash makes the coffin on a bevel?
Why does Addie call Jewel her salvation?
In what ways can Darl be considered a tragic hero in William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying?
Did Anse know about Addie's infidelity?
How does the motif of death function in the novel As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner?
What is the most ironic aspect of Addie's actual burial in As I Lay Dying?
Discuss the theme of decay in As I Lay Dying.
How do the two novels As I Lay Dying and To the Lighthouse compare in the treatment of their common theme? What similarities do you see? What differences? Comparion of theme?
Why does Vardaman call his mother a fish, and Darl call her a horse?
How does William Faulkner's use of stream of consciousness contribute to the tone of his novel As I Lay Dying?
How is Cash Bundren a hero?
What is Mosley's stern advice to Dewey Dell in As I Lay Dying, and why do you think he offers such advice?
How do you describe Addie Bundren from As I Lay Dying?
What do the buzzards represent in As I Lay Dying?
In As I Lay Dying, who do you think was the main character and why?
In As I Lay Dying, why does Jewel only get one chapter?
What are examples of hypocrisy and paradox in the characters of As I Lay Dying?
What is William Faulkner trying to propose or say in his book As I Lay Dying? Is he proposing a question or answering a question? What is he trying to get at?
About Anse Bundren: On p.193, Armstid says, “Well, that’ll be the last they’ll ever see of now, sho enough. Come Christmas time they’ll maybe get a postal card from him in Texas, I reckon. And if it hadn’t a been Jewel, I reckon it’d a been me; I owe him that much, myself. I be durn if Anse don’t conjure a man, some way, I be durn if he ain’t a sight.” Anse Bundren is surely one of the most feckless characters in literature, yet he manages to command the obedience and cooperation of his children. How does he do it? Why are other people so generous with him? He gets his new teeth at the end of the novel and he also gets a new wife. What is the secret of Anse’s charm? How did he manage to make Addie marry him, when she is clearly more intelligent than he is? I need to gather as many ideas as possible. Cite examples from the novel to support your points.
In the last part of the novel, Cash says “That it is better so for him. This world is not his world; this life his life.” Do you agree? Cite examples from the novel to support your points.
Who is the most dynamic character (the one who changes the most over the course of the novel) in the novel?
How do I write a character sketch about one of the characters in as I lay dying? What info must be included? What perspective do I write from?
What are some grotesque characteristics found in As I Lay Dying by Faulkner, and what does that say about society at that time?
Can you describe the relationship between Cash and Jewel in As I Lay Dying? How do they perceive themselves? How do they feel about each other?
In Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, why does Cora Tull believe Darl has a "natural affection" for his mother, and why does she disagree with others in the community who say that Darl is "queer"?
In Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, what causes Darl to go insane? Is he insane at the beginning, or does he become increasingly insane?
Significants of Bananas The use of bananas is seen numerous times within the book and i have absolutely no clue what they might mean besides relating the family to monkeys. Any thoughts on this?
How is Addie's maternal influence on the children different from Anse's paternal influence on the children in As I Lay Dying?
In As I Lay Dying, what is Addie's secret?
In As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, why is Jewel the only character Addie likes out of the Bundren family?