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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Mrs. Whitman ask Dupin to do in front of her guests?
(a) Have a type of photograph of his face made.
(b) Keep a picture of her in his wallet.
(c) Pose for her.
(d) Do a drawing of her face.

2. What does Edmund see in the mausoleum?
(a) Nothing.
(b) A corpse.
(c) A button.
(d) A ghost.

3. When Edmund figures out where his sister is, who accompanies him to rescue her?
(a) Throck.
(b) Poe.
(c) No one.
(d) Edmund's mother.

4. This novel combines _____.
(a) A made-up character named Poe with made-up characters.
(b) True details about Poe and made-up details about Poe's fictional characters.
(c) True historical details about Poe and true details about Poe's fictional characters.
(d) A made-up character named Poe with other real authors' fictional characters.

5. What does Dupin use to decipher the encoded message Edmund found at Mrs. Whitman's house?
(a) The Raven.
(b) The Gold Bug.
(c) The Murders in the Rue Morgue.
(d) The newspaper notices.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who does Dupin tell Edmund that Rachett has killed?

2. What does Dupin admit to Edmund about himself?

3. When Edmund arrives to rescue his sister, who is trying to take her away?

4. While his mother sleeps, what does Edmund ask Poe to do?

5. How do the kidnappers plan to use Edmund's sister?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do you think the author uses the circular technique of starting Poe's story in a way that is identical to the start of the novel?

2. What is the significance, in Chapter 16, of Edmund throwing himself at a man with a gun?

3. What can the reader learn about the real-life Poe in this novel?

4. How do you think Edmund felt upon reading the beginning of Poe's story, and seeing the name "Edgar" changed to "Edmund"? Do you think it made him regret having torn up the rest of the story?

5. Why is it significant in Chapter 14 that Edmund first begins to doubt Dupin's detective skills after talking to Captain Elias?

6. Why do you think Dupin decides that his work is done after summing up the details of the solved mystery in Chapter 17?

7. Why do you think Poe drops the remainder of his story on the ground before walking away from Edward for the last time?

8. What does Dupin mean in Chapter 16 when he tells Edmund that "lies have their own truth"?

9. What is the symbolism in Chapter 19 of Poe's belief upon seeing Edmund and his mother that his characters have come to life?

10. Why is it significant in Chapter 19 that Edmund decodes an important riddle while all the adults around him sleep?

(see the answer keys)

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