TTH Prewriting Activity

Reorder

Place the events from the story in the correct order.

• Narrator explains his disease and his obsession with the old man's vulture eye.

• He sneaks into the old man's room nightly.

• He hears the old man's heart beating louder and louder.

• The narrator kills the old man and hides the body.

• He confesses to the murder after hearing the "heartbeat" under the floor.

1

2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Multiple Choice

Criminal insanity means that when a person did something wrong (like breaking the law), they might not have been thinking clearly or acting like a normal, rational person. In other words, their mind wasn't working in the usual way when they did the bad thing.  

Question:
Does this excerpt demonstrate insanity based on the definition provided?

"The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell."

• Yes, because hearing things from heaven and hell suggests irrational thinking.

• No, because heightened senses are not inherently irrational.

• Yes, because the narrator's obsession with the eye leads to irrational and harmful behavior.

• No, because the narrator shows cunning and self-control.

Multiple Choice

Criminal insanity means that when a person did something wrong (like breaking the law), they might not have been thinking clearly or acting like a normal, rational person. In other words, their mind wasn't working in the usual way when they did the bad thing.  

Question:
Does this excerpt demonstrate insanity based on the definition provided?

"I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees—very gradually—I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever."

• Yes, because hearing things from heaven and hell suggests irrational thinking.

• No, because heightened senses are not inherently irrational.

• Yes, because the narrator's obsession with the eye leads to irrational and harmful behavior.

• No, because the narrator's decision to act was gradual and calculated.

Multiple Choice

Criminal insanity means that when a person did something wrong (like breaking the law), they might not have been thinking clearly or acting like a normal, rational person. In other words, their mind wasn't working in the usual way when they did the bad thing.  

Question:
Does this excerpt demonstrate insanity based on the definition provided?

"And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it—oh, so gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern, all closed, closed, so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in!"

• No, because the narrator's decision to act was gradual and calculated.

• No, because heightened senses are not inherently irrational.Yes, because sneaking into someone's room nightly is irrational behavior.

• Yes, because the narrator's obsession with the eye leads to irrational and harmful behavior.

• No, because the narrator shows cunning and self-control.

Multiple Choice

Criminal insanity means that when a person did something wrong (like breaking the law), they might not have been thinking clearly or acting like a normal, rational person. In other words, their mind wasn't working in the usual way when they did the bad thing.  

Question:
Does this excerpt demonstrate insanity based on the definition provided?

"Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant. The old man’s terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment!—do you mark me well?"

• No, because the narrator's decision to act was gradual and calculated.

• No, because hearing the heart could represent heightened emotions rather than irrational thinking.

• Yes, because the narrator's obsession with the eye leads to irrational and harmful behavior.

• Yes, because the narrator believes he hears the old man's heart long after his death.

Multiple Choice

Criminal insanity means that when a person did something wrong (like breaking the law), they might not have been thinking clearly or acting like a normal, rational person. In other words, their mind wasn't working in the usual way when they did the bad thing.  

Question:
Does this excerpt demonstrate insanity based on the definition provided?

"I admit the deed!—tear up the planks! here, here!—It is the beating of his hideous heart!"

• Yes, because the narrator is overwhelmed by irrational guilt and hallucinates a sound.

• No, because hearing the heart could represent heightened emotions rather than irrational thinking.

• No, because the confession shows remorse and rational decision-making.

• Yes, because the narrator believes he hears the old man's heart long after his death.

Poll

Which excerpt do you feel most strongly represents insanity?

• The narrator explains his "disease" and heightened senses.

• The narrator describes his obsession with the old man’s "vulture eye."

• The narrator sneaks into the old man’s room nightly.

• The narrator hears the old man’s heart beating louder and louder.

• The narrator confesses to the murder after hearing the "heartbeat" under the floorboards.

Labelling

Which tone word best describes this excerpt:

  "The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell."  

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Psychotic/mad

Anxious

Labelling

Which tone word best describes this excerpt:

  "I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees—very gradually—I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever."  

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Calm

Paranoid

Labelling

Which tone word best describes this excerpt:

  "And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it—oh, so gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern, all closed, closed, so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in!"  

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Paranoid

Arrogant

Labelling

Which tone word best describes this excerpt:

"It was open—wide, wide open—and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness—all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones."  

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Arrogant

Psychotic/mad

Labelling

Which tone word best describes this excerpt:

  "Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant. The old man’s terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment!—do you mark me well? And now a new anxiety seized me—the sound would be heard by a neighbor!"

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Anxious

Arrogant