Lots of Thinking, Pairing and Sharing

Today we spent most of the day writing and discussing As I Lay Dying. Over the two periods, we covered the questions below, (though we had addressed some on Wednesday). At the end of the period, we talked a bit about rough drafts--in case students were planning to actually write this weekend--and I stressed the importance of planning before writing (perhaps using the tools online at moodle).
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1. Anse Bundren may be one of the most feckless characters in literature.  Why do you think his neighbors repeatedly come to his aid? Is it out of pity, respect, guilt, charity, community, or is Anse just that good at manipulation?
2. Faulkner allows Darl and Vardaman to express themselves in language that would be impossible given their lack of education and experience in the world. Why does Faulkner break with the realistic representation of character in this way?
3. What does the novel reveal about the ways in which human beings deal with death, grieving, and letting go of loved ones?
4. Why do you think Addie's chapter (40) is placed where it is? How does her chapter change your earlier perceptions of the Bundren family? For example, how well did Cora really know Addie?