Question

Read the excerpt from Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher."

For several days ensuing, her name was unmentioned by either Usher or myself: and during this period I was
busied in earnest endeavours to alleviate the melancholy of my friend.
What does this excerpt reveal about the narrator of the story?
A. It describes what the narrator knows from his past.
B. It describes what the narrator experiences in the story.
C. It provides an inference drawn by the narrator.
D. It provides a criticism voiced by the narrator.

Answer 1

B.

Step-by-step explanation:

In some parts of the story it shows what the narrator experienced in the story

Answer 2

The excerpt highlights the narrator's direct experiences in the story as he attempts to alleviate the gloom of his friend, Roderick Usher, reinforcing themes of darkness and fatalism.

Step-by-step explanation:

The excerpt from Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" reveals that the narrator experiences the events in the story firsthand. Specifically, during a period when the name of Usher's sister is not mentioned, the narrator is actively trying to alleviate the melancholy of his friend. This indicates that the narrator is directly involved in the unfolding events at the house of Usher, sharing in the emotional states and dynamics between the characters, which is in stark contrast to the hopeful, faith-filled world he comes from. Through a close reading of the text, it is evident that this involvement further underscores the themes of darkness, hopelessness, and fatalism prevalent in Poe's work, as the narrator's efforts to intervene prove futile against the pervasive gloom of the Usher household. Reflections in the story, whether of the house in the tarn or the parallel decay of the house and Roderick himself, amplify these inescapable themes of despair and doom.