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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 Edmund realizes about the meaning of the word "Sunrise" in the decoded message?

2. What does Edmund do to save his sister?

3. What does Mrs. Whitman tells her guests that Dupin/Poe is?

4. What does Dupin learn at the portrait studio?

5. At the end of the story, how has Edmund changed?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. If you were Edmund, how do you feel about Poe's assertion that Sis lives on longer in Poe's story than she does in real life?

3. How does Edmund's character change by Chapter 18, compared to the Prologue?

4. How does the final chase scene in Chapter 21 differ from the rest of the novel?

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

6. Why do you think Edmund makes the final decision to tear up Poe's story before going to the docks to rescue Sis?

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

8. Why do both Dupin and Edmund frequently believe they have seen ghosts?

9. 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?

10. What is the symbolism, in Chapter 13, of Dupin's imagining that Helen's mothers guests are demons wearing masks of black death?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

What is the significance of the story Poe is writing throughout the course of the novel? How does it change, and how do these changes reflect the changes in Poe's character and in his relationship with Edmund?

Essay Topic 3

How do you characterize Dupin/Poe's crime-solving methods? Do you think they are effective? Use specific details from the novel to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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