House of Usher unit 2 Questions Master
1.The main symptom of the "family evil" that Roderick Usher suffers from is that he
a. / sleeps as though deadb. / coughs all the time
c. / feels afraid of Madeline
d. / has heightened senses
ANS:D
2.Usher mostly is concerned about Madeline because she
a. / may die and leave him without a companionb. / feels ill and is unable to tolerate noise and light
c. / walks through the house as though in a trance
d. / is depressed and cannot take care of him
ANS:A
3.Which is the best main idea of the following complex sentence describing the house's consciousness? "Its evidence—the evidence of the sentience—was to be seen, he said (and I here started as he spoke), in the gradual yet certain condensation of an atmosphere of their own about the waters and the walls."
a. / The house's consciousness is in the water around the house.b. / The condensation of water has created an atmosphere around the house.
c. / The evidence of the house's consciousness is in the atmosphere surrounding the house.
d. / The atmosphere around the house has created a consciousness in the water.
ANS:C
4.Which statement best explains how the description of the storm contributes to the single effect of horror in the story?
a. / The noise and the light from the storm awaken Madeline from a trance.b. / The characters pace in a manner that matches the increasing intensity of the storm.
c. / The narrator begins to recognize the gloomy and ominous surroundings of the house.
d. / The storm is unusually fierce and creates a setting of unnatural conditions.
ANS:D
5.Which event kills Usher and drives the narrator from the house?
a. / A storm causes unusual sounds that frighten Roderick to death.b. / The events in the book the narrator is reading begin to come true.
c. / Madeline appears after having been entombed and thought dead.
d. / The walls of the house crumble and fall into the tarn.
ANS:C
6.Which single effect does the author help create with the following description? "the decayed trees, and the gray wall, and the silent tarn"
a. / gloomb. / concern
c. / madness
d. / calm
ANS:ASTA:AZ 03.11.2.1.PO2
7.Which statement is the main idea of the following complex sentence? "'Her decease,' he said, with a bitterness which I can never forget, 'would leave him (him, the hopeless and the frail) the last of the ancient race of the Ushers.'"
a. / Roderick's sister is the only Usher family member living in the house with him.b. / If Roderick's sister dies, Roderick will marry another member of the Usher family.
c. / Another family member will have to move into the house with Roderick.
d. / Roderick will be the last member of the Usher family after his sister dies.
ANS:D
8.On the final night, the narrator cannot sleep because
a. / he is worried about a coming stormb. / Usher wants to read him a favorite book
c. / he is nervous and hears unfamiliar sounds
d. / the darkness of the house frightens him
ANS:C
9.What is equivocal?
a. / ancientb. / ambiguous
c. / respected
d. / bizarre
ANS:B
10.Apathy is
a. / a lack of interestb. / a desire for peace
c. / a concern for others
d. / an increase in pressure
ANS:A
11.Pertinacity means
a. / permissionb. / consciousness
c. / powerfulness
d. / stubbornness
ANS:D
12.A vagary is a
a. / scary recitationb. / strange idea
c. / complete story
d. / observable change
ANS:B
13.What is an anomaly?
a. / a descent into complete madnessb. / a condition that affects the heart
c. / a departure from normal rules
d. / an unknown noise from below
ANS:C
15.Alleviation means
a. / thrillb. / cheer
c. / relief
d. / calm
ANS:C
16.An affinity is a
a. / likeness to somethingb. / concern for others
c. / belief in an idea
d. / need for help
ANS:A
17.What does inordinate mean?
a. / ordinaryb. / complete
c. / excessive
d. / exaggerated
ANS:C
18.An insipid meal is
a. / simpleb. / long
c. / necessary
d. / bland
ANS:D
19.What does demeanor mean?
a. / solitudeb. / behavior
c. / sickness
d. / attention
ANS:B
20.How does the narrator's initial description of Roderick as having a "ghastly pallor" contribute to your understanding of Roderick?
ANS:
The narrator's description of Roderick's ghastly pallor contributes to the understanding that Roderick is ill and unusual looking.
STA:AZ 03.11.2.1.PO2
21.What are two effects that Roderick's illness has on his mind?
ANS:
Responses will vary. Students may provide any two of the following details from the story that show the effects that Roderick's illness has on his mind:
A. Roderick is excessively nervous, making him almost incoherent (lines 151-157).
B. Roderick ranges from very happy to very sullen, which causes his voice to go from excited to leaden (lines 157-163).
C. Roderick lives in an almost constant state of fear (lines 177-185).
D. Roderick's illness has caused him to become obsessed with the supernatural aspects of his house (lines 186-195).
22.How does Poe heighten the unified mood of the story during the final night of the story? Use specific details from the story to support your response.
ANS:
Responses will vary. Students should say that Poe uses the characters' activities, the sounds, and the weather around the house on the final night to increase the mood of horror in the story. Students may use any of the following details to support their responses:
A. The narrator cannot fall asleep, feels nervous, and ends up dressing and pacing around the room (lines 420-439). Because the narrator has served as a calm observer to this point, his increased agitation is more frightening.
B. The narrator says that Roderick looks like a mad cadaver when he enters the narrator's room, yet the narrator welcomes him to avoid being alone (lines 440-447). This acceptance of a crazed nervous man over solitude increases the horror of the story because it shows the agitation of the narrator and introduces another nervous person into the room.
C. Roderick speaks without giving much information and throws open a window to let a storm into the room (lines 448-451). Roderick's cryptic speech and odd behavior increase the horror of the evening by reinforcing the narrator's agitation.
D. The storm outside the house is fierce, has abnormally unstable wind speeds and directions, and casts an unnatural light on the house and its surroundings (lines 452-465). This weather heightens the horror of the evening with its ferocity and abnormality.
E. The narrator's attempt to bring Roderick under control and explain the strange phenomenon of the evening serves to increase the tension because the narrator is forcing himself to remain calm in the face of the abnormal events (lines 466-472).
F. The book that the narrator reads causes an increase in the story's horror because the sounds in the story seem to be actually happening in the house (lines 488-527 and 544-554).
G. The narrator's attempt to control his emotions for Roderick's sake shows that his own emotions are affected (lines 528-533).
H. Roderick's strange posture, his rocking back and forth, and his rigid appearance serve to heighten the terror of the story by showing that the evening is affecting him so completely (lines 532-542 and 555-560).
I. Roderick's crazed speech, full of half-sentences, stops, exclamations, and laughter, serves to heighten the terror of the story since the narrator is in the room with someone who appears to be going mad (lines 562-576).
J. When the narrator leaves the house, the storm that still rages and the blood red moon reinforces the horror of the evening (lines 588-593).
23. Do you think Roderick is truly trying to become well, or does he encourage his own insanity? Use specific details from the story to support your response.
ANS:
Responses will vary. Students may say that Roderick is making an effort to become better and may use any of the following details from the story to support their responses:
A. Roderick writes to his friend, a sign that Roderick wishes for someone to help him alleviate his fears and nervousness (lines 34-42).
B. Roderick seems genuinely happy to see the narrator and participates in distracting activities with him, signs that he welcomes attempts to alleviate his fears (lines 126-130, 164-169, and 225-226).
C. Roderick explains his malady in detail to the narrator, a sign that he wants help dispelling his condition (lines 169-185).
D. Roderick fears the house but also explains that his fear may come from his sister's illness, a sign that he can be rational about the origins of his nervous agitation (lines 186-203).
Students may say that Roderick encourages his insanity and may use any of the following details from the story to support their responses:
A. The narrator describes the house and its surrounding land as frightening and decrepit (lines 1-32), yet Roderick refuses to leave the house despite his conviction that the house has supernatural qualities (lines 186-195). If Roderick wanted to get better, he would leave the house that is apparently causing him such mental distress.
B. Roderick's home has somber tapestries, black floors, and little light (lines 103-110 and 115-125). If Roderick wanted to get better, he might have added brighter decorations to his house to alleviate some of his nervousness and fear.
C. Roderick plays improvised songs, paints gruesome pictures, and sings a depressing song that mimics his own life (lines 226 and 235-324), all indications that he is wallowing in his own mental instability.
D. Roderick dwells on the "sentience" of inanimate objects and plants (lines 325-346). Roderick fears the house and encourages this fear with his thoughts about the house's consciousness.
E. The narrator and Roderick read imaginative books and lose themselves in their imaginations instead of engaging in more active pursuits that may alleviate Roderick's fears and nervousness (lines 347-360).
STA:AZ 03.11.2.1.PO1.c
24.How does Roderick's song "The Haunted Palace" mimic his life? Include three details from the song to support your response.
ANS:
Responses willvary. Students should say that the description in the song of the glory and
disintegration of a noble king is similar to Roderick's downfall. Students may use any three of the following details from the song to support their responses:
A. The lineage of the Usher family passes from father to son only and Roderick is the last son living (lines 62-66 and 201-203), and the person in the song is the son of a ruler (lines 293-300).
B. Roderick's home was probably once fair and beautiful (lines 85-95) like the palace in the song (lines 277-292 and 301-308).
C. Roderick's malady causes him to deteriorate as his house deteriorates (lines 186-195 and 342-345), and "evil things" assault the ruler in the song and cover him and his house in darkness (lines 309-316).
D. People who pass by the palace see a strange and unbalanced image moving back and forth inside (lines 317-320). Such movement is similar to Roderick's own nervous agitation (lines 407-408).
E. Laughter without true happiness seems to radiate from the palace (lines 321-324), just as Roderick smiles and laughs maniacally when he is agitated (lines 558-559 and 568).