Vocabulary
What does “nervous” mean in paragraph 1?
Afraid or worried.
Who is the main character telling the story?
The narrator.
How does the narrator sound in paragraph 1—calm or nervous?
Nervous.
What sense does the narrator say is very strong?
Hearing.
Why does the narrator say he is not mad?
Because he can tell the story calmly.
What does “mad” mean in the story?
Crazy or insane.
Who does the narrator live with?
An old man.
The narrator says, “How, then, am I mad?” What tone does this show?
Defensive.
n paragraph 2, what does the narrator say about gold?
He does not want it.
What is the narrator’s plan?
To kill the old man because of his eye.
The narrator says “acute” hearing. What does “acute” mean?
Very strong or sharp.
How does the narrator feel about the old man’s eye?
He hates it; it makes him afraid.
The narrator says he heard “things in heaven, earth, and hell.” What mood does this create?
Scary or creepy.
What time of day does the narrator go into the old man’s room?
At night.
What happens when the old man hears the narrator in paragraph 4?
The old man wakes up and sits up in bed.
In paragraph 2, the narrator says “conceived.” What does this mean?
Thought of or created in the mind.
Does the narrator hate the old man himself?
No, he says he loves him.
What is the feeling (mood) when the narrator says the old man’s eye made his “blood run cold”?
Fearful or chilling.
In paragraph 5, what does the narrator use to see into the old man’s room?
A lantern (light).
In paragraph 7, how long did the narrator stand still in the dark without moving?
.
For an hour.
The narrator calls the old man’s eye a “vulture eye.” What is a vulture?
A big bird that eats dead animals.
Why does the narrator say he wants to hurt the old man?
Because of the old man’s eye.
How do paragraphs 1–3 make the reader feel—safe or uneasy? Why?
Uneasy, because the narrator seems crazy and scary.
For how many nights did the narrator go into the old man’s room without killing him?
Seven nights.
What do we learn about the narrator’s patience from paragraphs 4–7?
He is very patient and careful, waiting a long time.