Read the excerpt relating to Reverend John Wilson from Chapter 3 of The Scarlet Letter.The voice which had called her attention was that of the revered and famous John Wilson, the eldest clergyman of Boston, a great scholar, like most of his contemporaries in the profession, and withal a man of kind and genial spirit. This last attribute, however, had been less carefully developed than his intellectual gifts, and was, in truth, rather a matter of shame than self-congratulation with him.What does the excerpt reveal about Reverend John Wilson?
Read the excerpt from Chapter 28 of Moby-Dick.It resembled that perpendicular seam sometimes made in the straight, lofty trunk of a great tree, when the upper lightning tearingly darts down it, and without wrenching a single twig, peels and grooves out the bark from top to bottom, ere running off into the soil, leaving the tree still greenly alive, but branded.Melville’s description of Ahab’s scar in this excerpt best develops which theme in the novel?
Read the excerpt from Poe’s "The Fall of the House of Usher."No sooner had these syllable passed my lips, than -- as if a shield of brass had indeed, at the moment, fallen heavily upon a floor of silver -- I became aware of a distinct, hollow, metallic, and clangorous, yet apparently muffled reverberation. Completely unnerved, I leaped to my feet; but the measured rocking movement of Usher was undisturbed. How might the word "unnerved" indicate that the narrator is unreliable?
Read the excerpt from Chapter 28 of Moby-Dick.Nor a word he spoke; nor did his officers say aught to him; though by all their minutest gestures and expressions, they plainly showed the uneasy, if not painful, consciousness of being under a troubled master-eye.Which best describes the theme Melville develops in this excerpt?
Which event described in chapter 1 of The Scarlet Letter takes place as the story begins?
Read the excerpt from "The Adventure of the Mysterious Picture."The expression was that of agony—the agony of intense bodily pain; but a menace scowled upon the brow, and a few sprinklings of blood added to its ghastliness. Yet it was not all these characteristics—it was some horror of the mind, some inscrutable antipathy awakened by this picture, which harrowed up my feelings.What technique does Irving use to build suspense in the excerpt?
Read the excerpt from a short story.From the porch, the cabin looked as quaint and rustic as the website had promised. I hoisted my duffel to my hip, unlocked the door with the key I’d been sent, and stepped into the warm air of the mountain home. The floorboards creaked a welcome as I investigated. I admired the piney living room, noting the stone hearth and the dappled afternoon light on the walls. Then I made my way toward the sole bedroom at the end of the hall. I glanced at the eyelet bedcover, the mantle clock, and the antique mirror. Wait. I glanced again at the mirror and impulsively brushed my hair from my eyes, balking at the coloring of the wayward wisps. How could it be? My hand touched my skin—the image I faced was a much older version of myself. I backed away, watching my wrinkled face retreat. I tripped on the doorjamb, stubbed my toe on an errant nail, and nearly toppled over my own luggage as I lunged for the door.What technique does the author use to build suspense in the excerpt?
Based on Hawthorne’s description in Chapter 4 of The Scarlet Letter, which word best describes the man who takes the name of Roger Chillingworth?
Which excerpt from Chapter 28 of Moby-Dick best develops the theme of the novel concerning humankind’s insistence on manufacturing its own destruction?
Read the excerpt from Chapter 28 of Moby-Dick.It had previously come to me that this ivory leg had at sea been fashioned from the polished bone of the sperm whale’s jaw.How is the fact that Ahab’s leg is made from whale bone significant to the novel’s theme of humans versus nature?
Read the excerpt from Poe’s “The Tale-Tell Heart”.Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded --with what caution --with what foresight --with what dissimulation I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. What is the effect of parallelism in this excerpt?
Read the excerpt from "The Adventure of the Mysterious Picture."I began to undress, but in spite of every effort I could not keep myself from stealing a glance every now and then at the picture; and a glance was now sufficient to distress me. Even when my back was turned to it, the idea of this strange face behind me, peering over my shoulder, was insufferable. I threw off my clothes and hurried into bed; but still this visage gazed upon me.What effect does the tone of the excerpt have on the reader?
Which excerpt from "The Masque of the Red Death" best shows Prince Prospero’s self-centeredness?
Which best explains why Irving sets "The Adventure of the Mysterious Stranger" in a land of “masks and gondolas”?
Read the excerpt from "The Mysterious Stranger."He seemed to be tormented by some strange fancy or apprehension. In spite of every effort to fix his attention on the conversation of his companions, I noticed that every now and then he would turn his head slowly round, give a glance over his shoulder, and then withdraw it with a sudden jerk, as if something painful had met his eye.How does the excerpt exemplify Gothic fiction?
Read the excerpt from "The Adventure of the Mysterious Stranger," by Washington Irving.When he found I really took an interest in him he threw himself entirely upon my friendship. He clung to me like a drowning man. He would walk with me for hours up and down the place of St. Mark—or he would sit until night was far advanced in my apartment.What does this excerpt reveal about the narrator of the story?
Read this excerpt from "The Mysterious Stranger" using comprehension strategies.The romantic character of the place delighted me; I was very much amused by the air of adventure and intrigue that prevailed in this region of masks and gondolas; and I was exceedingly smitten by a pair of languishing black eyes, that played upon my heart from under an Italian mantle. So I persuaded myself that I was lingering at Venice to study men and manners. At least I persuaded my friends so, and that answered all my purpose.What statement best describes the narrator in this excerpt?
Read the excerpt from Irving’s "The Adventure of the Mysterious Stranger."Often, after we had returned from one of these scenes of revelry, I have entered his room, and found him lying on his face on the sofa: his hands clinched in his fine hair, and his whole countenance bearing traces of the convulsions of his mind.Which of the following statements best describes the effect of narration on the story?
In Chapter 41 of Moby-Dick, which belief about society and nature does Ahab’s relationship with the White Whale best demonstrate?
Read the excerpt from Chapter 41 of Moby-Dick, by Herman Melville.All that most maddens and torments; all that stirs up the lees of things; all truth with malice in it; all that cracks the sinews and cakes the brain; all the subtle demonisms of life and thought; all evil, to crazy Ahab, were visibly personified, and made practically assailable in Moby Dick.Which of the following statements best describes the effect of narration on the story?
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