Bannecker - +Eng II

Questions to consider (pages 112-164)

Sampson – 112 1) When looking at the narrators outside of the Bundren family, what sets Samson apart? How is he different than the Tulls and Peabody? 2) Examine Anse’s use of platitudes. What does this reveal about his character? 3) How does the Bundren’s journey come across as absurd or unbelievable? 4) What comment is made about women in this monologue? Is this opinion consistent with what we have seen in the novel? Based on his portrayal of women, can Faulkner be considered a feminist? 5) Trace the “smell” throughout the monologue.

Dewey Dell – 120 1) What is the symbolic function of the New Hope sign? 2) Why is Dewey Dell unable to process her mother’s death? 3) What effect does Darl have on Dewey Dell? 4) What dream does Dewey Dell describe? What is the significance of the dream? 5) The second italicized section is absent of punctuation. Why do you think Faulkner constructed the section in this manner?

Tull – 123 1) How does Tull describe Anse’s face after seeing the bridge engulfed by water? 2) How does Tull describe Darl’s eyes? Do you think Darl, and his eyes, serve as a mirror for the other characters?

Darl – 128 1) What do you think Addie’s secret is? 2) What is significant about the line “And I knew that she was hating herself for that deceit and hating Jewel because she had to love him so that she had to act the deceit”? 3) Okay…So what is significant about the horse? 4) Why do you think Faulkner decided to include a flashback at this point in the narrative?

Tull – 137 1) Throughout this monologue, Tull depicts other characters, as well as himself, “looking back.” What is the symbolic function of this action? 2) What effect does Vardaman have on Tull? How does this change our perception of Varadaman’s character? 3) Explain the line “Because a fellow can see ever now and then that children have more sense than him. But he don’t like to admit it to them until they have beards. After they have a beard, they are too busy because they don’t know if they’ll ever quite make it back to where they were in sense before they were haired”

Darl – 141 1) How is the natural world described in this monologue? 2) What significant information do we learn about Cash in this monologue? What happens to the POV as Darl begins to describe his connection with Cash? 3) In the dialogue that follows this revelation, Faulkner does not include the speaker’s name. What effect does this have? 4) What is significant about the italicized section?

Vardaman – 150 1) Examine the structure and grammar of this section.

Tull – 152 1) What is significant about Cora’s singing? 2) Where do we see examples of Tull’s fatalism in this monologue? 3) Which character is able to save the coffin?