Pit and the Pendulum Quiz

During what historical time period does "The Pit and the Pendulum" take place?

• The French Revolution

• The American Revolution

• The Spanish Inquisition

• WWI

Which is the best explanation for why the reader never learns what the narrator did to end up in jail?

• to show the unfairness of the law during that time period

• to show that people can feel guilty about things they didn't do

• to show that torture is wrong

• to show that life is mysterious

Why is the protagonist so terrified when he first wakes up in his cell?

• He had fainted when he received his death sentence.

• He immediately sees the pendulum.

• He misses his family.

• He is repenting for his crimes.

How does the protagonist determine the depth of the pit?

• He hears water running beneath the pit and figures out how far away it is.

• He sees skeletons far down at the bottom and estimates the depth based on their size.

• He measures the depth by throwing a rope down until it hits the bottom.

• He infers the depth by dropping a stone and listening to it drop.

Which of the following moves like a pendulum?

• a yoyo going up and down

• a swing on a swing set

• a spinning carousel

• a fish swimming through water

What effect does the slow drop of the pendulum have in the story?

• It shows that the jailers didn't know how to make a faster pendulum.

• It heightens the tension of the situation.

• It helps to make the story longer.

• It shows that the protagonist is indeed guilty.

The protagonist's solution to free himself from the knots shows that he is ________.

• foolish

• extroverted

• clever

• anxious

Why does the protagonist think he will be subjected to a new torture device after he frees himself from the knots?

• He knows he is guilty.

• His captors informed him of this.

• He figures he won't be let off so easily.

• He sees the next torture device in the pit.

The following line includes an example of which literary device?

"The darkness seems so close, wrapped in it like a coat."

• metaphor

• similie

• juxtaposition

• allusion

Which word best describes the mood of the story?

• angry

• hopeful

• mysterious

• historical