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What is happening to the narrator here in the story 'The Premature Burial' by Edgar Allan Poe? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

a) He is having a vision or a dream in which 'the unseen caused to be thrown open the graves of all mankind.'
b) One of his friends making sure he wasn't dead. 'Suddenly there came an icy hand upon my forehead.'
c) Both A and B
d) None of the above

User Almalkawi
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Final answer:

The narrator in 'The Premature Burial' by Edgar Allan Poe is experiencing both a dream or vision as well as a physical interaction, likely from a friend checking on his state.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to the question about what is happening to the narrator in the story 'The Premature Burial' by Edgar Allan Poe is option c) Both A and B. The text indicates that the narrator is indeed experiencing a dream or vision as described in option A, 'the unseen caused to be thrown open the graves of all mankind.' This is a common theme in Poe's work, reflecting dark and gothic elements combined with the psychological disturbances of his characters. However, the phrase 'Suddenly there came an icy hand upon my forehead' in option B suggests a physical interaction, likely from one of his friends checking for signs of life, which ties to the story's theme of premature burial and the fear of being buried alive - a fear that Poe was known to explore in his writings.

User Tom Droste
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