The Outsider by HP Lovecraft

According to the narrator…

• He lives in darkness because he fears the light.

• He is haunted in his dreams by the voices of his dead loved ones.

• He has never seen another human, other than a nurse he barely recalls.

• He lives in an ancient castle that is in remarkably sturdy condition.

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Which of the following is true about the castle?

• The castle is situated in the middle of a desert.

• The castle has mirrors on every wall in every room.

• The castle is decorated with an abundance of black roses.

• The castle has stone crypts that house skeletons.

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How does the narrator get his education?

• His aged nurse tutors him.

• He watches people socialize from a window inside his castle.

• He reads literature.

• He walks the land around his castle nightly.

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What drives the narrator to climb the castle tower that rises above the treetops?

• A desire to listen to the howling wolves.

• A desire to escape the “piled-up corpses of dead generations.”

• A desire to behold light.

• A desire to jump and end his misery.

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As the narrator ascends the tower, he locates a trap door that…

• Opens to a chamber with strange boxes.

• Is chained shut and impossible to open.

• Opens to an attic in which he finds photographs of himself.

• Leads to the discovery of a mysterious beast.

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When the narrator reaches an iron gate, he is surprised to…

• ...discover that he is at ground level -- not high above the treetops.

• ...discover that the key he wears around his neck unlocks it.

• ...see someone who looks identical to himself on the other side of it.

• ...feel such intense desire to flee and return to the comforts of his castle.

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When the narrator arrives at the castle in the wooded park…

• He falls into a trance-like state and collapses to the floor.

• There is a festive party taking place.

• He feels scared of what he will find living inside it.

• There is a flash of lightning that strikes the tree beside him.

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What causes the narrator to feel terror?

• A sudden, explosive fire.

• The hideous appearance of man.

• A panicked stampede of people.

• The blood-red eyes of a wolf staring him down.

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What item helps the narrator discover his true identity?

• A mirror.

• A photo album.

• An old letter.

• A birth certificate.

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In the resolution, readers learn that the narrator…

• Is eventually accepted by humanity.

• Avoids the dark out of fear that others like him will find him.

• Locked himself away in his tomb for all eternity.

• Now resides in Egypt.

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