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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 had the vault beneath the narrator's apartments once been used in feudal times?

2. What deficiency does the narrator note about the Usher family ancestry?

3. What is one thing the narrator says Roderick Usher writes about to him?

4. What is the title of the verses Usher composes that the narrator pens in the story?

5. What is the weather like that night?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where does Roderick's genius as a painter lie?

2. What does the narrator say about Roderick's usual habits after Madeline dies?

3. One is one topic of discussion between the narrator and Roderick that arises from the singing of Roderick's song, "The Haunted Palace"?

4. 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?

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

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

7. What does the narrator regularly observe Roderick doing after Madeline's death?

8. What do the narrator and Roderick do for one last time before placing Madeline's coffin in the vault?

9. What does the narrator say about Madeline's appearance when he looked upon her before they sealed the coffin lid?

10. Why does the narrator think the vault was used in more recent times to store gunpowder?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Do you think most people want a happy ending in a story? If most people want a happy ending how do you think the ending of The Fall of the House of Usher leaves the reader feeling? What do you think are three reasons to read fiction and do you think The Fall of the House of Usher fulfills these three reasons? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Poe does an exemplary job of portraying gloom, fear and horror.

Discuss some of the techniques Poe uses to elicit the emotions he wants from the reader. Use examples from The Fall of the House of Usher to support your reasoning.

(see the answer keys)

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