payment page
1. At the end of the novel, Darl is committed to an insane asylum for setting a barn on fire. What other factors may be involved in his family’s decision to commit him? What justification, if any, is there for his act of arson?
2. Provide a close reading of Addie’s monologue in the middle of the novel. What do we learn about her life? How is it that a dead woman’s voice can enter the narrative? Why does Faulkner introduce Addie’s voice when he does?
3. With the exception of Addie, the Bundrens have probably all received very little schooling. Do their monologues demonstrate or contradict this apparent fact?
4. Compare the monologues of members of the Bundren family with those of outside observers, like Tull, Cora, and Moseley. Which set of monologues do you feel provides a more accurate perspective on events?
5. Which characters do you think are the most heroic? Which are the most unheroic? What does the story say about the ideal of heroism?
