Plot Events
What crime does the narrator commit against the old man?
Murder
What point of view is this story told from?
First person point of view.
Poe uses the words "TRUE!" and "hearken!" frequently throughout the story. What suspense technique (or literary device) is this?
Repetition
Why did the narrator end up confessing at the end of the story?
In paragraph 1, what does “acute” mean?
Sharp, intense, keen
How many nights does the narrator watch the old man before killing him?
Seven nights
What vexes the narrator about the old man and what does he do because of it?
"I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture - a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold..."
How does this excerpt create suspense?
It identifies the source of the narrator's irrational fear (prolonged inner conflict, unreliable narrator)
Why is the narrator unable to commit the crime the first seven nights he visits the room?
He does not see the old man's eye.
In paragraph 4, what does “profound” mean?
showing great insight or understanding
Where does the narrator hide the body?
Under the floorboards.
What had the madness done to the narrator's senses?
Sharpened them.
What does Poe’s use of dashes in the last two paragraphs highlights about the narrator?
Teacher discretion -
ex: "...I found the eye always closed; so it was impossible to do the work..."
What does "audacity" mean"
Boldness, daring
Why did the old man awaken while the narrator was watching him?
His finger slipped on the lantern and made a noise.
Overconfident, arrogant, smug, etc. (teacher discretion)
What is foreshadowing?
Foreshadowing occurs when a writer provides hints that suggest future events in a story.
What does the heartbeat symbolize or represent?
The narrator's guilt
to annoy or irritate
How many times did the old man shriek?
Once, and only once.
The character tries to prove this about himself throughout the story, but his actions suggest otherwise.
That he is not mad/crazy/insane.
The narrator's attempts to hide the murder actually result in him giving himself up to the police is an example of which suspense technique?
Irony
Poe is often called the father of...?
Modern Detective Story (or gothic horror)
Define the word “melancholy,” one of the narrator’s possible tones.
Deep sadness