The Premature Burial

Plot and Theme

100

What is the main fear of the narrator?

Being buried alive

200

What disease does the narrator have?

Catalepsy

300

How many stories about being buried alive are included in the story?

Four

400

Come up with an example theme of the story.

One theme we came up with is, "Don't let fear control your life."

500

Tell one of the stories of being buried alive included in The Premature Burial.

Choose 1 of 4- Congressman's wife Victorine Lafourcade Artillery officer Edward Stapleton

Conflict and Irony

100

Is the conflict in the story man against man, man against society, man against nature, or man against self?

Man against self

200

Who is the cause of irony in the story?

The narrator

300

Give an example of the conflict in the story.

For example, one instance of conflict is when the narrator has to decide whether to risk being buried alive and live his life or have no risk and have to say inside his house.

400

What type of irony is included in the story?

Situational irony

500

Give an example of situational irony in The Premature Burial.

The narrator is afraid of being buried alive and then finds himself in a situation which mimics the feelings of being buried alive.

Imagery and Characterization

100

Who is the main character in the story?

The narrator

200

Give two adjectives that (accurately) describe the narrator.

Examples: timid, nervous, fearful, cautious, etc.

300

Give an example of imagery in the story.

One example is when the narrator is on the boat in his sleeping quarters, where Poe sets the scene by telling the reader the details of the location.

400

In the story, Poe writes, "and it was they who had buried me as a dog." What could this mean? What type of figurative language is it?

This example of figurative language refers to the narrator thinking that he could be buried quickly, sloppily, and without much thought or care- much like a dog. Also, it is a simile.

500

Why is the narrator considered to be timid and fearful? Why does he refuse to leave his house?

He is considered to be fearful because his catalepsy causes him to have fears that if he leaves his house, he will be mistaken for dead and hastily buried.

Symbols and Allusions

100

What is an allusion?

An allusion is a reference to a person, place, thing, or something that has happened in the past. One example of and allusion in The Premature Burial is Poe's allusion to Afraisab, a king in the Persian epic "Shah Nameh."

200

Name a symbol in The Premature Burial.

One example of a symbol is the coffin.

300

What could the coffin symbolize?

One way of looking at the coffin as a symbol is thinking of it as fear itself. Fear entraps people, just like a coffin does with bodies.

400

Who is Afraisab?

A Persian King.

500

Give another example (besides the coffin) of a symbol in The Premature Burial, and tell what it could mean.

One example is the dirt around/on top of the coffin, which could signify barriers that stop you from achieving goals.

Point of View and Comparisons

100

Is the point of view in The Premature Burial first person, second person, or third person?

First Person

200

Name one thing The Premature Burial, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Cask of Amontillado have in common.

Someone dies in every story, all are told in first person, etc.

300

Name one difference between The Premature Burial, The Cask of Amontillado, and The Tell-Tale Heart.

The don't all involve murders, not all of the characters are "crazy", etc.

400

Name a reason why first person may make a story seem more mysterious or scary.

It makes the story seem more personable, and relatable which makes people see the "crazy" in themselves as well.

500

Name a way the story would've been different if it would've been told through second or third person.

It may have been less scary, as the fear of being buried alive wouldn't have been present in the narrator themselves.