Nonfiction: Two Authors` Perspectives of the Writer`s Craft
Question 10 • ARC English 10 Semester 2 CR/Summer
Read the selection below from the short story “The Pit and the Pendulum” by Edgar Allan Poe and answer the question that follows. Amid the thought of the fiery destruction that impended, the idea of the coolness of the well came over my soul like balm. I rushed to its deadly brink. I threw my straining vision below. The glare from the enkindled roof illumined its inmost recesses. Yet, for a wild moment, did my spirit refuse to comprehend the meaning of what I saw. At length it forced—it wrestled its way into my soul—it burned itself in upon my shuddering reason. O for a voice to speak!—oh, horror!—oh, any horror but this! With a shriek I rushed from the margin and buried my face in my hands—weeping bitterly. Which element of fiction dominates the passage above?
Answer
A
characterization of the narrator
B
development of the plot
C
illustration of the setting
D
advancement of the theme
Explanation
The passage focuses mainly on the narrator’s thoughts and emotional reactions as he looks into the well. His horror, confusion, and desperate response reveal his state of mind, so the dominant element is characterization of the narrator. The well and approaching fire provide the situation, but the passage emphasizes how he responds to them.
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