The Fall of the House of Usher

What does the narrator notice about the House of Usher when he first sees it?

• a) It is brightly lit and welcoming.

• b) It is surrounded by a beautiful garden.

• c) It is cracked and decayed, with a tarn (pond) nearby.

• d) It is covered in colorful flowers.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

What is the condition of Madeline Usher when she is first seen in the story?

• a) She is healthy and lively.

• b) She is comatose and motionless.

• c) She is playing the piano.

• d) She is riding a horse.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

What does Roderick Usher believe is the cause of his heightened senses and acute perception?

• a) The influence of the narrator's presence.

• b) His mental illness.

• c) The atmosphere of the house.

• d) His regular consumption of strong spirits.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

What does Roderick Usher fear is happening to his sister Madeline after her supposed death?

• a) That she is suffering from a fever.

• b) That she is being attacked by a ghost.

• c) That she is returning from the dead.

• d) That she is becoming insane.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

Why does Roderick Usher want to entomb Madeline in the family tomb under the house?

• a) To prevent her from being buried elsewhere.

• b) To ensure that she receives a proper funeral.

• c) To protect her from the narrator.

• d) To keep her close to him in death.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

What is the final fate of Roderick Usher?

• a) He escapes from the house.

• b) He is buried alive with Madeline.

• c) He goes insane and is confined to an asylum.

• d) He marries the narrator.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.11-12.5

CCSS.W.11-12.9

What does the narrator witness in the story's climactic ending?

• a) The escape of Madeline and Roderick.

• b) The collapse of the House of Usher into the tarn.

• c) The arrival of a group of townspeople.

• d) A peaceful resolution between Roderick and Madeline.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

How does the narrator react to the events and sights in the House of Usher?

• a) He remains calm and unaffected.

• b) He becomes increasingly anxious and fearful.

• c) He decides to join Roderick in his artistic pursuits.

• d) He feels compelled to leave the house immediately.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

What does the narrator find when he reads "Ethelred and the dragon" to Roderick Usher?

• a) That it has a calming effect on Roderick.

• b) That it terrifies Roderick even more.

• c) That Roderick becomes obsessed with the story.

• d) That Roderick falls asleep while listening.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

What effect does the storm have on the house and its inhabitants?

• a) It has a soothing and comforting effect.

• b) It intensifies the sense of foreboding and terror.

• c) It has no impact on the characters.

• d) It causes them to rejoice and celebrate.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.11-12.3