As I Lay Dying

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Is it possible for siblings growing up in the same family to have completely different life experiences? Why do siblings remember events differently and/or frequently disagree about what happened in their childhood?  

Teaching Suggestion: If students do not have siblings and have difficulty imagining how they might behave, consider changing the prompt so that it asks about close friends who have lived next door and/or attended the same school. This question will prepare students to think about the subjectivity of observation and memory, which is a defining feature of Modernist Literature. It may also be helpful to remind students that the main characters in this novel are mourning the loss of Addie, and that grief and related experiences differ among family members. This short activity connects to the theme The Development of Characters Through Differing Perspectives.

• “Why Do Siblings Have Different Memories of Growing Up?” from Psychology Today takes a scientific approach on siblings’ perceived experiences.
• This article from UNC Health Talk explains how everybody experiences grief differently.

Short Activity  

William Faulkner is widely considered one of the most significant and influential writers of American Literature, especially in regards to Southern literature. Throughout much of his career, he published a tremendous number of novels and short stories. Research Faulkner’s work and choose one novel or story that interests you. Prepare an informal, two-minute presentation to inform your classmates of the work and the major concerns Faulkner addresses in it. 

Teaching Suggestion: It might be helpful to assign students in groups of three for this Short Activity. One approach might be to post large sheets of paper around the room and have students create quick anchor charts for their novels or short stories. Students can then do a gallery walk to learn from their peers’ research.

• Faulkner’s biography on the Nobel Prize website provides helpful context about him and his work. 
• This entry from Encyclopedia Virginia contextualizes Faulkner and his works.   

Differentiation Suggestion: A differentiation strategy would be to provide an outline template to help students organize ideas, with an area for them to fill in the title, subject matter, major themes, and notes. You could also have struggling readers come together in a small group and build background knowledge on Faulkner using KWL charts or by using think/pair/share strategies. If students have difficulty selecting a title, it may be helpful to provide them with a chronological list of his work.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

How does it feel to have a secret hope, even a small one, that you keep from even your closest friends and family members? How can having this hope keep a person motivated?  

Teaching Suggestion: Many characters in this novel have their own reasons for wanting to go to town, and their hopes motivate them to continue moving forward despite many challenges. At the same time, they conceal important information from one another, leading to mistrust, bitterness, and betrayal. As students begin to consider answers to the Personal Connection Prompt, consider exploring and discussing the resources below, which may help students approach the prompt in both emotional and logical ways. This prompt connects to the themes of Secret, Selfish Motives and Rural Women’s Lack of Autonomy.

• This article from Scientific American explains the harmful effects of having secret motivations.
• This poem by Emily Dickinson is a timeless reminder of Hope’s power.