Read the excerpt from "The Fall of the House of Usher."As if in the superhuman energy of his utterance there had been found the potency of a spell—the huge antique panels to which the speaker pointed, threw slowly back, upon the instant, their ponderous and ebony jaws. It was the work of the rushing gust—but then without those doors there DID stand the lofty and enshrouded figure of the lady Madeline of Usher.How does Poe develop a short story element in the excerpt?
Answer
A
by characterizing Usher as a man of remarkable strength
B
by presenting the setting as an ornate, old-fashioned home
C
by depicting a strong wind to support the theme of nature’s storms
D
by revealing a conflict in which Usher’s fears are realized
Explanation
Poe develops the plot’s conflict by showing Usher’s fear come true: Madeline, whom he believed dead, suddenly appears at the doorway. The doors swing open because of a gust of wind, but the startling sight of Madeline is what makes the moment frightening. The passage does not characterize Usher as physically strong or focus on a theme about nature’s storms.
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