The Fall of the House of Usher Selection Quiz

At the beginning of “The Fall of the House of Usher,” what does the narrator do?

• He listens to Roderick Usher's improvisations on the guitar.

• He travels with Roderick Usher to visit Usher's family home.

• He travels to visit Roderick Usher at Usher's family home.

• He helps Roderick Usher bury Roderick’s sister Madeline in a vault.

Which phrase best describes Usher’s state of mind in “The Fall of the House of Usher”?

• cautious and glum

• dull and depressed

• suspicious and miserable

• nervous and agitated

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In “The Fall of the House of Usher,” what does Usher say is his biggest fear?

• being frightened to death

• being accidentally buried alive

• the death of his sister Madeline

• the collapse of his family's house

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Which of the following is the most accurate description of what happens to Madeline Usher in "The Fall of the House of Usher"?

• She dies, is buried by her brother, but then returns to life to terrorize her brother and the narrator.

• She appears to die, is mistakenly entombed, but then revives and forces her way to freedom before dying.

• She pretends to die, is taken for dead and is buried, but then emerges from her crypt to destroy the house

• She nearly dies, recovers through a doctor's help, but then is thrown into an underground cell by her brother.

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Which is the most accurate description of the ending of the “The Fall of the House of Usher”?

• During a storm, the waters of the tarn surrounding the house rise until the house is submerged.

• During a storm, the barely perceptible fissure in the façade of the house widens until the house collapses.

• During a storm, Roderick Usher madly rushes about striking at the house until he causes its collapse.

• During a storm, Roderick and Madeline Usher struggle so madly that they cause the collapse of the house.

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If a storm were to annihilate a building, which of the following would most likely be the result?

• The building would have part of its roof torn off.

• The building would have damage but would remain intact.

• The building would be reduced to small fragments.

• The building would be removed from its foundation.

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Read the following sentence from “The Fall of the House of Usher,” in which the narrator explains that he has received a letter from Roderick Usher.

A letter, however, had lately reached me in a distant part of the country—a letter from him—which, in its wildly importunate nature, had admitted of no other than a personal reply.

What is the most likely reason the narrator says the letter "admitted of no other than a personal reply"? Base your answer on your knowledge of the story as well as on the sentence.

• The narrator feels obliged to respond to his friend's request for a visit because his friend is clearly upset

• The narrator is worried that it will seem rude if he does not answer the letter in a personal way.

• The narrator hopes his friend will invite him to stay in the distant part of the country where his friend lives.

• The narrator believes that his friend is threatening to harm him if he does not give the right answer

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The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

Part A

In “The Fall of the House of Usher,” which details of the house’s interior seem to reflect Usher’s appearance and the condition of his mind?

• Usher’s confused behavior is reflected in the broken mirrors.

• Usher’s self-assurance and noble manner is reflected in its wealth and splendor.

• Usher’s advanced age and old-fashioned ways are reflected in the ancient furnishings.

• Usher’s physical and mental deterioration is reflected in the gloomy darkness, lack of comfort, and old, worn-out possessions.

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Part B

Which excerpt from “The Fall of the House of Usher” best supports the answer to Part A?

• The room in which I found myself was very large and lofty.

• The general furniture was profuse, comfortless, antique, and tattered.

• A small picture presented the interior of an immensely long and rectangular vault or tunnel, with low walls, smooth, white, and without interruption or device.

• Our books—the books which, for years, had formed no small portion of the mental existence of the invalid—were, as might be supposed, in keeping with this character of phantasm.

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The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

Part A

In “The Fall of the House of Usher,” which of the following is one of Roderick Usher's disturbing ideas?

• Usher believes that his house has awareness, like a living thing.

• Usher believes that his house will fall apart, sliding into the tarn.

• Usher believes that his sister will die, even though she is healthy.

• Usher believes that the narrator has held a grudge, ever since boyhood.

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