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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. What does Dupin NOT tell Edmund about his mother?
2. What happened to Poe in real life?
3. What does Mrs. Whitman tells her guests that Dupin/Poe is?
4. Who or what is Peggy?
5. While Dupin is at Mrs. Whitman's home, what does Captain Elias tell Edmund at the docks?
Short Essay Questions
1. What can the reader learn about the real-life Poe in this novel?
2. What is the symbolism in Chapter 19 of Edmund's grabbing Poe's story and threatening to rip it up if Poe does not help him?
3. 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?
4. Why do you think the author has Edmund's mother demand both the divorce and her money, rather than just being satisfied with a divorce, when she first encounters her husband?
5. What is the importance of the guests' discussion of whether it is possible to read a man's character from his face?
6. What is the symbolism, in Chapter 13, of Dupin's imagining that Helen's mothers guests are demons wearing masks of black death?
7. How does the final chase scene in Chapter 21 differ from the rest of the novel?
8. Do you think Poe is able to make up his own mind whether or not to root for Edmund's happiness, or does his nature force him to hope for the worst?
9. Do you think Poe is a coward for giving up on marrying Helen because, as he says, too many timid people feel threatened by his power as a writer?
10. Why do you think the author has Poe share his thought process throughout the story, rather than saving all his insights for the end?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Once the central conflict of Sis's disappearance is resolved, do you characterize Poe's dissatisfaction with it as a twist? Poe makes it clear to Edmund that he believes he can give Sis immortality in his story. Is Poe's lack of reaction to Sis's recovery to be expected, or is it a surprise that adds color and depth to the final moments of the story?
Essay Topic 2
Edmund has one trusted adult friend: Captain Elias. Why do you think he waits so long to visit Captain Elias and seek out his help? Do you see this as a flaw in the novel? Does the author have Edmund avoid his friend just so that his relationship with Dupin/Poe can play out in a more interesting way? Do you think the author should have deleted Captain Elias from the novel, and imparted the information Captain Elias shares in some other way?
Essay Topic 3
Dupin/Poe tells Edmund that "lies have their own truth." Do you agree? Do you think this is the case only in fiction, or in real life as well?
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This section contains 1,058 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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