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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 is one of the Usher's favorite volumes that the narrator and Usher read?

2. What style were Usher's paintings?

3. What is one thing the narrator say Usher suffers from intensely?

4. The throngs in the song laugh, but what do they not do anymore?

5. What appalls the narrator when Usher enters the narrator's rooms?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator react to Roderick's mood after Madeline's death?

2. What does the narrator say about the decor of the house?

3. For what purpose and when was the vault used in previous times?

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

5. What does the narrator think of Roderick's ostensible reason for delaying Madeline's burial?

6. With what is the narrator impressed concerning Roderick?

7. What does the narrator do before actually going inside the House of Usher?

8. To what does Roderick say part of his mental state can be traced?

9. What does the narrator observe about Roderick after Madeline's death?

10. How does the narrator attempt to calm Roderick?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Oftentimes, a story has more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some stories seem to balance the two.

What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven or action driven? Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why? Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character are developed to the same degree? Why or why not? What type of plot do you think The Fall of the House of Usher is? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 2

Thoroughly analyze how the setting informs the plot in The Fall of the House of Usher. Trace and analyze one major theme of The Fall of the House of Usher. How is the theme represented by symbolism? By the characters' behaviors? By the action?

Essay Topic 3

Choose two significant symbols and trace and analyze their appearance in The Fall of the House of Usher. Are these universal symbols that would have the same meaning in any culture? What other symbols could portray the same idea? Why do you think Poe chooses the symbols he does? Consider symbols such as the physical house itself, the mausoleum, the vegetation and even the décor of the house.

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