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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. How often is it likely that the narrator will see Madeline in the future?

2. How does the narrator describe the night?

3. What effect does Usher think plants have had upon his life?

4. Who wrote the book that the narrator picks up to soothe Usher?

5. For what is the light coming through the windows of the room sufficient?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the narrator discover when he gets up and bends his ear close to Roderick's mouth?

2. What does the narrator say about his friendship with Roderick Usher?

3. What seems to be happening in "real" time as the narrator reads?

4. How do the men like the book the narrator reads and what surprises the narrator about Roderick's response to the book?

5. How does the narrator describe the vault where Madeline's coffin is temporarily laid to rest?

6. What does the narrator attempt to do for several days, and then what does he conclude about his attempts?

7. How does the narrator describe the door into the vault where they lay Madeline's coffin?

8. What does the narrator say about African Satyrs and Aepipans?

9. What does Roderick seem to vacillate between?

10. With what is the narrator impressed concerning Roderick?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The narrator gives a detailed description of the House of Usher as he first encounters it. The house appears to also symbolize Roderick and Lady Madeline.

What physical descriptions of the house seem to relate to Roderick? What ones seem to relate to Lady Madeline? Use examples from The Fall of the House of Usher to support your reasoning.

Essay Topic 2

Many readers of fiction place themselves in the position of one character, wondering if they would do the same thing as that character.

Do you think one of the values of literature is to serve as a reflection of oneself? Why or why not? Socrates said "Know thyself." How can reading a story such as The Fall of the House of Usher help a reader to know him/herself? Do you find yourself reflecting on your own character and abilities when reading The Fall of the House of Usher? Why or why not. Use examples from The Fall of the House of Usher and your own life to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Trace and analyze the theme of madness or mental illness in The Fall of the House of Usher. Consider the following questions as you write: Examine which characters are sane and which do not seem sane. What are some symbols of madness? How does the madness of the characters relate to the story? How does the madness of the characters move the story along?

Trace and analyze the theme of isolation in The Fall of the House of Usher. Which characters struggle with this issue? Why? Which characters seem to have been affected by isolation? What are the reasons some of the characters are isolated? How does the theme relate to the plot? Could the plot have occurred without the isolation of some of the characters?

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