Story Basics
For 100 points: Who is the main character in the story?
The narrator
For 100 points: What does the narrator do every night before the murder?
He sneaks into the old man’s room and watches him sleep
For 100 points: What does 'vexed' mean in the story?
'Vexed' means bothered or annoyed
For 100 points: What point of view is the story told from?
First-person point of view
For 100 points: What is the narrator obsessed with?
The old man’s eye
For 200 points: What is the old man's physical feature that bothers the narrator?
The old man's eye (vulture eye)
For 200 points: How many nights does the narrator watch the old man sleep?
Seven nights
For 200 points: What does the word 'stealthily' suggest?
'Stealthily' means quietly or secretly
For 200 points: Why does Poe use short, choppy sentences?
To reflect the narrator’s nervous and unstable thoughts
For 200 points: What animal does the narrator compare the old man's eye to?
A vulture
For 300 points: Is the narrator ever given a name in the story?
No, the narrator is unnamed
For 300 points: What causes the narrator to finally act?
The old man opens his eye
For 300 points: What does 'sagacity' mean?
'Sagacity' means wisdom or intelligence
For 300 points: Why does the narrator keep insisting he is not mad?
To convince the reader he is sane
For 300 points: How does the old man react when he hears something at night?
He sits up and listens
For 400 points: Where does the story mostly take place?
Inside the old man’s house
For 400 points: Where does the narrator hide the body?
Under the floorboards
For 400 points: What is meant by 'dissemble'?
'Dissemble' means to hide one’s true feelings or thoughts
For 400 points: What literary device is used in 'a hideous heart'?
Alliteration or imagery
For 400 points: What time of night does the narrator kill the old man?
Around midnight
For 500 points: Who visits the house after the murder?
Police officers
For 500 points: What sound drives the narrator to confess?
The sound of the old man's heartbeat
For 500 points: What does 'suavity' mean in how the narrator talks to police?
'Suavity' means smoothness or charm
For 500 points: How does the author build suspense?
By using repetition, vivid imagery, and pacing
For 500 points: What sound does the narrator think he hears under the floor?
A heartbeat