Read the excerpt from "The Tell-Tale Heart.” TRUE!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily—how calmly I can tell you the whole story. In what way is the excerpt characteristic of gothic literature?
Answer
A
It includes a supernatural creature.
B
It features a bright, inviting setting.
C
It explores fear and strong emotions.
D
It focuses on science and reason.
Explanation
The speaker describes being “dreadfully nervous” and insists that his senses are unusually sharp, creating an intense, unsettling mood. Gothic literature often explores fear and powerful emotions, so “It explores fear and strong emotions” best describes the excerpt. The speaker’s mention of hell does not mean the passage includes a supernatural creature.
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