William Faulkner: “That Evening Sun”

Discussion questions

1. How is the story narrated? Is there a shift in the narrative voice? Why did Faulkner choose to narrate the story this way? What effect does it create? (Another way to ask the question is how old is the narrator at the very beginning, and how old during the telling?)

2. Does Nancy die? Why or why not?

3. How much does Quentin understand about Nancy’s behavior? What about his reaction to her beating? What about his final question?

4. Does Mr. Compson do enough? What do you make of the fact that he has "two heads"?

5. What role does Caddy play in the story?