Character & Feelings
The narrator insists he is not crazy, but rather that his illness made his mind sharp and gave him what extremely strong sense?
What is his sense of hearing?
For how many nights did the narrator sneak into the old man's room before the old man finally woke up?
What is seven nights?
When a single beam of light finally landed on the old man's face, the narrator saw that the eye was in this state.
What is wide open?
In paragraph 1, the narrator says his illness made his mind sharp and his senses acute. What does the word acute mean in this story?
What is sharp, strong, or extra sensitive?
In paragraph 2, the narrator compares the old man's pale blue eye to this animal.
What is a hawk?
The narrator says he had no problem with the old man himself, but he was terrified of this specific feature.
What is the old man's pale blue "hawk-like" eye?
On the eighth night, this accidental mistake caused the old man to sit up in bed and yell, "Who's there?"
What is the narrator's thumb slipping on the flashlight/lantern?
The narrator compared the fast thump-thump-thump sound of the old man's heart to this household item.
What is a watch ticking inside a towel?
In paragraph 2, the narrator says the idea was conceived in his head. What does conceived mean?
What is thought of, created, or formed
In paragraph 11, the narrator compares the sound of the old man's beating heart to this object.
What is a watch ticking inside a towel?
To prove he was smart and not crazy, the narrator points out how carefully, quietly, and sneakily he did this.
What is planning his sneaky plan / sneak into the room?
After hearing the noise, the narrator stayed completely still without moving for this long.
What is one whole hour?
As the old man's heart beat faster and louder, the narrator became afraid that this would happen.
What is a neighbor hearing the heartbeat?
In paragraph 2, the narrator says ending the old man's life was the only sufficient way to get rid of the eye. What does sufficient mean?
What is enough or adequate?
Cause and Effect: What caused the narrator's blood to feel "icy cold" whenever he looked at the old man?
What is looking at the old man's pale blue / cloudy eye?
The narrator acted extra nice to the old man every morning to make sure the old man never suspected this midnight habit.
What is sneaking into his room and watching him sleep at night?
When the narrator heard the old man let out a quiet groan of pure terror, he felt a mix of these two emotions.
What are feeling sorry (sad) and feeling excited (happy)?
To stop the old man's heart and end his life, the narrator ran into the room and used this item.
What is pulling the heavy bed over him?
In paragraph 3, the narrator says you would watch in awe at how carefully he planned. What does awe mean?
What is amazement or wonder?
Cause and Effect: What caused the old man to try to convince himself that the noise he heard was just the wind or a mouse?
What is hearing the narrator's thumb slip on the flashlight in the dark room?