The Fall of the House of Usher

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.

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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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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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Which of the following would most likely be considered an antiquity?

• a vase from ancient times

• a rusty piece of jewelry

• a house built in the 1950s

• a logbook from a space shuttle

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Which of the following is the best example of a tumultuous event?

• a foggy night that hides the moon

• a drought that causes crops to wither and die

• a storm so loud that it is hard to hear others speaking

• a winter night so cold that snow freezes into ice

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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 details of the house’s interior that seem to reflect Usher’s appearance and the condition of his mind?

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

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

• c. 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.

• d. 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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Which aspects of Roderick Usher’s character most clearly illustrate elements of Gothic literature?

Choose two options.

• Roderick is an accomplished musician.

• Roderick has a twin sister with whom he lives.

• Roderick fears that unnatural forces control his home.

• Roderick and his sister are the last living members of their family.

• Roderick lives in a gloomy ancestral home far from populated areas.

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