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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. For what temperament does the narrator say the Usher family is known?

2. What does the narrator believe is odd about Usher's hair?

3. What style were Usher's paintings?

4. What colors were the banners that floated on the place the lyrics describe?

5. What does the narrator say is inaccessible in the room to which he is shown?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does the narrator throw off his sense of gloom upon approaching the house?

3. What had Roderick's sister, up to the narrator's arrive, resisted, but how does that change after the narrator arrives at the house of Usher?

4. According to Roderick, what impact does the sentience of the plants around the House of Usher have on the Usher family?

5. Who does the narrator meet on the stairs and what is the narrator's impression of the person?

6. What does Roderick say in reply to the narrator's comment about how Roderick and Madeline resemble each other?

7. When does the narrator find he is unable to sleep and upon what does he blame that fact?

8. What does Roderick seem to vacillate between?

9. What changes about Roderick's voice in the days following Madeline's death?

10. What is the only instrument Roderick can tolerate hearing?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Characters are an integral and important part of almost all stories.

Compare/contrast the characters of Roderick and Lady Madeline. How are they similar? How are they different? Is there a flaw in each of their personalities? Be specific and give examples. Compare/contrast the characters of Roderick and the narrator. How do they seem different? Which do you like more? Why? Which one seems more of a well-rounded character?

Essay Topic 2

The narrator approaches the House of Usher with great trepidation when he sees the disrepair. He is telling the story of visiting a friend.

It might occur to the reader that the main character is the narrator but the story gives very little information about him. Discuss how it affects the story not knowing much about the narrator. Use examples from The Fall of the House of Usher to support your reasoning.

Essay Topic 3

Identify the protagonists of the story and why you believe they are such? Identify the antagonists of the story and why you believe they are such? Which three secondary characters have the greatest impact on the plot? Which, if any, characters are not essential to the story? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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