Assignment-3 The Fall of the House of Usher

Essential Question:  What is there about the darker side of mankind that has appealed to writers and readers since the late 18th century?
Objective:  I will be able to identify ways that mood is depicted in a work of literature.
Benchmark:  LA.A11.2.2.7 Compare/Contrast
1.  Define the following words:  affinity, aghast, alleviation, annihilate, deficiency, emaciated, fitfully, futility, insipid, insoluble, interment, narrative, obstinate, terrestrial, and vivacious.  Choose one and make a word wall word card.
2. Read the Fall of the House of Usher -p.474  Yellow Book
Mood:  This story deals with mood.  Define mood and tell the three techniques that Poe uses to depict mood in his writing.
3.  Read the first sentence of the story.  Describe the mood that Poe creates by using these words.
4. On page 476, what is the main idea of line 46-55?
5.  On page 477, line 111 refers to the "barely perceptible fissure."  What does this mean and what might it foreshadow?
6.  This story's descriptions of rooms represents an example of "gothic setting."  On page 478, what description of the room represents a Gothic setting?
7.  Characterization-  One method of characterization is the description of a character's physical appearance.  What does the description of Usher's face reveal about his character?  What effect does Usher's appearance have on the narrator?
8.  Examine the art on page 479.  This is a self-portrait of the artist.  This means he painted the portrait of himself.  Interpret the artist's view of himself.  What is the focus of the painting?  Why were the colors used?  If Roderick Usher painted himself, what colors would he use and what kind of expression would he have on his face?  What maladies does Roderick User suffer from?
9.  Read beneath the photo on page 482.  What does this mean?  Remember with complex sentences, if you first locate the subject and verb, you can determine the main idea better.
10.  On page 488, line 258-260.  What does this foreshadow?
11.  Write an analysis of Poe's writing style.  Think of a topic sentence and support it with specific details that you find on page 497 or throughout the story.