Read the excerpt from "The Tell-Tale Heart.” It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. 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; and so by degrees—very gradually—I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever. In what way is the excerpt characteristic of gothic literature?
Answer
A
It relies on mystery and suspense.
B
It explores great emotional upheaval.
C
It indicates a happy ending.
D
It includes a logical event.
Explanation
The narrator describes an intense, irrational obsession with the old man’s eye: it haunts him, makes his blood run cold, and leads him to decide to kill someone he says he loves. This emotional turmoil is characteristic of Gothic literature, so the best answer is “It explores great emotional upheaval.”
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