Vocabulary
This word means “a long, narrow crack or opening.”
fissure
What relationship do Roderick and the narrator have?
They were childhood friends.
What mood is commonly created in Gothic literature?
Gloomy, melancholy, or eerie
What are the two main types of characterization?
Direct and indirect
Why does Poe begin with a long description of the setting?
To establish a gloomy and unsettling mood.
The crowd became loud, emotional, and ______ after the shocking announcement.
Tumultuous
What body of water stands beside the House of Usher?
The tarn
What kind of suffering is common among Gothic characters?
Physical and/or psychological torment
The narrator directly describes Roderick as extremely pale. What type is this?
Direct
Why does the narrator look at the mansion's reflection in the tarn?
He hopes changing his view might change his feelings.
The old mansion showed its ______ through its ancient stones and decaying appearance.
antiquity
What unusual fact does the narrator learn about Roderick and Madeline?
They are twins.
What kinds of events often appear in Gothic plots?
Strange, violent, or supernatural events
Roderick nervously moves around the mansion. What type is this?
Indirect
Why does the narrator try painting, reading, and music with Roderick?
He wants to distract him and improve his mood.
What word means “violent or forceful pulling apart”?
Rending
What unusual condition does Madeline suffer from?
Catalepsy
How does Poe's description of the mansion help create a Gothic mood?
Its darkness, decay, age, and isolation create fear and uneasiness.
What does Roderick's extreme sensitivity reveal about him?
He is physically and mentally fragile.
Why is “The Haunted Palace” important to the story?
It reflects Roderick's mental decline.
Which word best describes the eventual ending or downfall of a family: rending, fissure, or dissolution?
dissolution
What does Roderick believe has influenced his family for generations?
The House of Usher / the mansion and its atmosphere
How does the underground vault strengthen the Gothic atmosphere?
It adds darkness, confinement, death, and fear.
Roderick changes rapidly between excitement and depression. What does this indirectly reveal?
His emotional/mental state is unstable.
Why does the narrator becoming frightened matter?
It shows that the mansion's atmosphere is beginning to affect even the rational narrator.