As I Lay Dying

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

ACTIVITY 1: “Writing the Missing Chapter”  

In this activity, students will use critical thinking and creative intelligence to add a missing chapter from the point of view of a character of their choice.

Several crucial events in As I Lay Dying take place outside of the narrative. For instance, the only description we get of Addie’s actual burial—the purpose of the entire journey—is Cash’s observation that “we got it filled and covered” (Chapter 53). Choose one such scene and a narrator, then write an additional chapter with these points in mind:

• Consider which scenes are missing, like the burial, Darl’s act of arson, the courtship of the “new” Mrs. Bundren, or another chapter outside of the narrative.
• Emulate each narrator’s tone and style. Unreliable narrators are acceptable!
• In your narration, include a reference to one of the following themes: Secret, Selfish Motives or Rural Women’s Lack of Autonomy.
• Chapters should be between 500-700 words.
• Indicate where your chapter should fall during the narrative. 

Share your story with a classmate. Discuss which theme you chose to incorporate and why. 

Teaching Suggestion: Students may choose to narrate Dewey Dell’s visit with the pharmacist—this should be up to the teacher’s discretion. After the activity is over, you may choose to group students based on the narrator and have them read aloud their chapters in the order they would fall in the narrative. How do these new, apocryphal chapters add to their understanding of these characters?   

Differentiation Suggestion: Some students may struggle to develop ideas. Consider asking them which character they most identified with while reading. Then encourage them to interrogate those feelings: What was it about that character’s voice or emotions that resonated with them? Once they have chosen their character, you might ask them to pick one of the three scenes listed in the first bullet point. You may also consider lowering the word count to 300-400 words, especially for English language learners or students who also struggle with time management.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Despite containing many grotesque or tragic elements, As I Lay Dying has many comical moments that illustrate dark humor.  

• Which characters or situations allow for comic relief in the narrative? (topic sentence)
• Include at least three citations from the text in which Faulkner uses humor to heighten the drama of the family’s journey to Addie’s final resting place.
• In your conclusion, evaluate the final line as a punchline for which the rest of the book is a set up.

2. As I Lay Dying makes direct connections between motherhood and death.

• How does the author characterize motherhood and show its inherent connection to death?  (topic sentence)
• Choose at least three characters in the novel and demonstrate how their experiences of pregnancy, delivery, or motherhood connect to death. 
• In your conclusion, explain how the thematic elements in Rural Women of the Twenties’ Lack of Autonomy, Duty to Family, and Exhaustion affect women’s ability to live fully realized lives.  

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Vardaman famously states, “My mother is a fish” (Chapter 19, Page 51). What makes him say this? What do the fish and his mother have in common, and how do the events of the novel seem to support his observation? Is thinking of his mother in this way helpful or damaging for a young boy handling his mother’s death? Explain your ideas carefully and cite all quoted and paraphrased textual evidence in your answer.

2. While there is often tension between characters, the Bundrens also demonstrate that they care about each other within their family unit. When do members of the Bundren family show love and loyalty to one another? What does this tell us about the way families behave? In your response, consider what message Faulkner is trying to convey through these choices in relation to one of the novel’s themes: Rural Women of the Twenties’ Lack of Autonomy, Duty to Family, and Exhaustion; The Journey to Town and Secret, Selfish Motives; or The Development of Characters Through Differing Perspectives. Make sure to cite any quoted or paraphrased material.

3. Consider the purpose of the Bundrens’ journey throughout the novel. Is their journey to bury Addie noble? In what ways does the journey help or hinder each character’s development? How do the relationships among family members change as a result of this journey, and what are the lasting effects? Write an essay in which you consider the significance of honor and morality in the Bundrens’ journey alongside one of the novel’s themes: Rural Women of the Twenties’ Lack of Autonomy, Duty to Family, and Exhaustion; The Journey to Town and Secret, Selfish Motives; or The Development of Characters Through Differing Perspectives. Make sure to cite any quoted or paraphrased material.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following is the greatest example of Rural Women of The Twenties’ Lack of Autonomy, Duty to Family, and Exhaustion?

A) Addie’s affair with Reverend Whitfield

B) Dewey Dell’s attempts to abort her pregnancy

C) Cora’s judgment of the Bundrens for their immorality

D) The new Mrs. Bundren’s decision to marry Anse

2. Which part of the Bundrens’ journey troubles Cora Tull the most?

A) Their spiritual practices

B) Their planned route

C) Their method of packing their wagon

D) Their plan to take Vardaman 

3. What is the nature of the conflict between Darl and Jewel?

A) Jewel is jealous because Darl is their father’s favorite son.

B) Darl antagonizes Jewel because he has a different father.

C) They compete for the affection of Addie, who favors Cash.

D) They have different ideas on how to save their mother.

4. How does Cash handle the inevitability of his mother’s death?

A) By denying the reality of her decline

B) By escaping to town on an errand

C) By putting his skills to their best use

D) By making her feel comfortable

5. What does Jewel’s horse symbolize?

A) His love for nature

B) His bold individualism

C) His search for reconciliation

D) His desire to travel

6. Which of the following correctly pairs a character and their Secret, Selfish Motives for going into town?

A) Cash and a new set of teeth

B) Dewey Dell and a bag of bananas

C) Anse and a set of tools

D) Vardaman and toy train set

7. Read this passage from Chapter 26: “I says I got some regard for what folks says about my flesh and blood even if you haven’t, even if I have raised such a durn passel of boys, and when you fixes it so folks can say such about you, it’s a reflection on your ma, I says, not me: I am a man and I can stand it; it’s on your womenfolks, your ma and sister that you should care for, and I turned and looked back at him setting there, laughing.” Which term best describes Faulkner’s characteristic prose style here?

A) Slice-of-life

B) Stream-of-consciousness

C) Social satire

D) Decadent symbolism

8. To whom is Addie referring when she says, “He is my cross and he will be my salvation. He will save me from the water and from the fire. Even though I have laid down my life, he will save me” (Chapter 40)?

A) Jesus Christ

B) Anse

C) Jewel

D) Armstid

9. What is the tone of Anse’s statement when he says, “Nowhere in this sinful world can a honest, hard-working man profit” (Chapter 28)?

A) Self-pitying

B) Wise

C) Ominous

D) Cryptic

10. Why do the authorities apprehend Darl?

A) For transporting a dead body

B) For burning down a barn

C) For fording the river illegally

D) For having a warrant for murder

11. Who ends up with the 10 dollars that Dewey Dell was meant to use for an abortion?

A) Lafe

B) Samson

C) Macgowan

D) Anse

12. How does Anse’s treatment for Cash’s injury affect Cash?

A) It takes away the worst of the pain.

B) It does not affect the pain but allows him to walk.

C) It causes him a lot of additional pain.

D) It does not affect his pain or mobility.

13. Which word best describes Macgowan’s relationship with Dewey Dell?

A) Professional

B) Predatory

C) Friendly

D) Antagonistic

14. How does Jewel show his devotion for his mother?

A) By saving her corpse from the fire

B) By building a coffin for her

C) By comparing her to a dead fish

D) By refusing to accept Samson’s feed

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. Choose one of the following words to describe Anse: hypocritical, pragmatic, irresponsible, or unlucky. Support your opinion with textual evidence.

2. What is the nature of Jewel’s attachment to his horse? What does it symbolize for him?