Identification. Each of the Following Passages Occurs in a Text by Poe. in Your Blue Book

English 215

Exam 4 – Spring 2010

Identification. Each of the following passages occurs in a text by Poe. In your blue book, identify the title of the text, who is speaking about what (the context), and then write at least two sentences describing the symbolic or thematic significance of the quote to the work as a whole. 4 points each.

1. No portion of the masonry had fallen; and there appeared to be a wild inconsistency between its still perfect adaptation of parts, and the crumbling condition of the individual stones. . . . Beyond this indication of extensive decay, however, the fabric gave little token of instability. Perhaps the eye of a scrutinizing observer might have discovered a barely perceptible fissure, which, extending from the roof of the building in front, made its way down the wall in a zigzag direction, until it became lost in the sullen waters of the tarn.

“The Fall of the House of Usher.” The house is a metaphor for the body and the family of Usher here. The zigzag fracture down the front of the house imitates the dichotomy between mind and body in Roderick and Madeleine. The semblance of unity in the structure as a whole without any disarrangement of parts replicates’ Poe’s theory of literary and psychic unity.

2.I had so much of my old heart left, as to be at first grieved by this evident dislike on the part of a creature which had once so loved me. But this feeling soon gave place to irritation. And then came, as if to my final and irrevocable overthrow, the spirit of PERVERSENESS. Of this spirit philosophy takes no account. Yet I am not more sure that my soul lives, than I am that perverseness is one of the primitive impulses of the human heart - one of the indivisible primary faculties, or sentiments, which give direction to the character of Man.

“The Black Cat.” Poe’s philosophy of perverse behavior accounts for the narrator’s behavior. Guilt is present, but not in any moral or ethical sense. Guilt is created by aberrant psychological traits that make the narrator confess.

3.I fled in vain. My evil destiny pursued me as if in exultation, and proved, indeed, that the exercise of its mysterious dominion had as yet only begun. . . . Villain! -- at Rome, with how untimely, yet with how spectral an officiousness, stepped he in between me and my ambition! At Vienna, too -- at Berlin -- and at Moscow! Where, in truth, had I not bitter cause to curse him within my heart? From his inscrutable tyranny did I at length flee, panic-stricken, as from a pestilence; and to the very ends of the earth I fled in vain.

“William Wilson.” The passage illustrates the pervasive use of the double or doppelganger. In killing Wilson 2 at the end of the story, Wilson might be said to kill his alter-ego, that part of himself that he dislikes but cannot live without. Some have also said that what is killed is Wilson’s conscience – yet how could he be so conscience-stricken if his conscience is dead?

4.It was now midnight, and my task was drawing to a close. I had completed the eighth, the ninth, and the tenth tier. I had finished a portion of the last and the eleventh ; there remained but a single stone to be fitted and plastered in. I struggled with its weight ; I placed it partially in its destined position. But now there came from out the niche a low laugh that erected the hairs upon my head. It was succeeded by a sad voice. . . . The voice said - "Ha ! ha ! ha ! - he ! he ! - a very good joke indeed - an excellent jest. We will have many a rich laugh about it at the palazzo - he ! he ! he ! - over our wine - he ! he ! he !"

“The Cask of Amontillado.” The eleven layers of bricks and mortar replicate the eleven levels through which the characters descend to Fortunado’s grave. They also relate to the eleven heirachical levels of freemasonry, which Poe may have been parodying in the story. Poe’s foster father, John Allan, who he did not like, was a mason and a wine connosieur.

5.He was enchained by certain superstitious impressions in regard to the dwelling which he tenanted, and whence, for many years, he had never ventured forth - in regard to an influence whose supposititious force was conveyed in terms too shadowy here to be re-stated - an influence which some peculiarities in the mere form and substance of his family mansion, had, by dint of long sufferance, he said, obtained over his spirit - an effect which the physique of the gray walls and turrets, and of the dim tarn into which they all looked down, had, at length, brought about upon the morale of his existence.

“The Fall of the House of Usher.” Roderick is all mind, in contrast to Madeleine, who is all body. One cannot survive without the other, as is also illustrated in quote #3 from “William Wilson.” The house here may also be seen as an organic entity, almost a character; it has control over those who live within its walls (again see quote #1 above).

Multiple Choice. Write the correct letter on the answer sheet. Please use CAPITAL letters. 2 points each.

6. Which of the following is true of “The Fall of the House of Usher?”

1. Roderick was a victim of paralysis and was bedridden most of his life.
2. Madeline was pretending to be dead so that she could come back to kill her brother and inherit the estate.
3. As his sister becomes more physically ill, Roderick becomes increasingly ill emotionally and mentally.
4. The house was uninhabited and in great disrepair.
5. None of the above

7. The family motto referred to in "The Cask of Amontillado" is

(A)Nemo me impune lacessit (“No one insults me with impunity”)

(B)Ancilium numquam deficiens (“Without which there is nothing”)

(C)Veritas et Integras (“Truth and Integrity”)

(D)De gustibus non est disputandum (“There is no accounting for taste”)

(E)None of the above

8. “The Raven" appeared in:

(A)1845

(B)1945

(C)1745

(D)1903

9. An image of a foot crushing a “serpent rampant” whose fangs are imbedded in the heal appears in:

(A)“William Wilson”

(B)“The Fall of the House of Usher”

(C)“The Raven”

(D)“The Cask of Amontillado”

(E)None of the above

10. The basic facts of “The Fall of the House of Usher” include all of the following with one exception. Which of these statements is in error?

a.The narrator has been invited to visit Roderick Usher, an old friend.

b.Roderick has a twin sister who dies of a cataleptic seizure the first night.

c.Roderick and his sister are the only surviving members of an ancient family.

d.The sister is buried while still alive.

11. Identify which one of the following texts appears within the narrative of “The Fall of the House of Usher”

(A)“The Inkling”

(B)“The Mad Trist”

(C)“The Domain of Arnheim”

(D)“The Spectacles”

(E)None of the above

12. Freemasonry as a social movement is used symbolically within what text?

1. “William Wilson”
2. “The Cask of Amontillado”
3. “The Raven”
4. “The Black Cat”
5. All of the above
6. None of the above

13. Poe was born in:

a. Boston

b. Richmond

c. Philadelphia

d. New York

e. None of the above

14. Which definition best fits the word “doppelganger?”

1. The objectification of emotion on nature
2. The internalization of nature to depict character
3. The alter-ego or unconscious Self
4. The initiation archetype
5. None of the above

15. Which character is afflicted by “acute bodily illness” and “a cadaverousness of complexion?”

1. Madeleine Usher
2. Montresor
3. The speaker of “The Raven”
4. The narrator of “The Black Cat”
5. None of the above

16Which statement best describes “The Fall of the House of Usher?”

1. It represents Poe’s theory of literary unity as well as his views of the organic unity of the Self
2. It follows the Gothic tradition but also enhances its effects
3. It combines the tradition of the bildungsroman with the strategies of the pathetic fallacy
4. It is a version of the Gothic organized around the unifying archetype of the villanelle.
5. Both (A) and (B)
6. Both (C) and (D)

17Poe’s mother earned her living as:

1. A seamstress
2. An opera singer
3. A watercolorist
4. An actress
5. None of the above

18. For what activity did Poe earn the nickname, “the man with the tomahawk?”

a. His slashing critical reviews of fellow authors

b. His hatred of American Indians

c. His predisposition to depression and suicide

d. His alleged murder of Mary Rogers (“Marie Roget”)

e. None of the above

19. What fatal illness did Poe’s mother, wife, foster mother, and brother all die of?

a. a brain tumor (cancer)

b. neurasthenia

c. Parkinson’s disease

d. tuberculosis (consumption)

e. none of the above

20. Which Poe story is said to have been the first work of detective fiction?

a. “The Murder of Marie Roget”

b. “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”

c. “The Tell-Tale Heart”

d. “The Spectacles”

e. None of the above

21. In “William Wilson,” where is the word “conscience” specifically mentioned?

a. in the epigraph preceding the story

b. during the card game at Eton

c. in the last words of the story

d. when Wilson is a student at Dr. Bransby’s during Christmas

e. none of the above

22. “The Raven” was a sensation, and Poe became a household name overnight. What is its first line?

a. "On a dark and stormy night, when good Christian folk take fright"

b. “The snow fell fast and the wind blew wild”

c. “Things fall apart; the center cannot hold”

d. "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary"

e. None of the above

23. From 1835 to 1837, Poe worked for what Richmond-based magazine?

a. The Southern Literary Messenger

b. Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine

c. Graham’s Magazine

d. The News and Courier

e. None of the above

24. Which Poe poem is said to be a reflection of his love for his wife, Virginia?

a. “Annabel Lee”

b. “To Helen”

c. “For Annie”

d. “The City in the Sea”

e. None of the above

25. What is the name of the first cat in “The Black Cat?”

a. Pallas

b. Zeus

c. Orpheus

d. Pluto

e. None of the above

Essay. 40 points. In your blue book, write a brief but specific response of about 400 words on one of the following topics. Use examples to support each point you make.

(A) In Poe, burials are often premature: two case studies are to be found in “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Fall of the House of Usher.” Briefly compare and contrast these premature burials, finding as many points of similarity and difference between them as you can. Conclude with a theory as to why the event is essential to understanding Poe’s point in each story.

(B) Briefly compare and contrast the narrators of “William Wilson” and “The Cask of Amontillado,” finding as many points of similarity and difference between them as you can. Conclude with a theory as to how each narrator embodies or exemplifies Poe’s theory of the dual nature of man.

Extra Credit. 1 point each.

EC1. In what city is Poe buried?Baltimore

EC2. What was the name of Poe’s aunt?Maria Clemm

EC3. Poe was the second of how many children?Three

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