46 pages 1 hour read

Edgar Allan Poe

The Fall of the House of Usher

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1839

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Exam Questions

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. From where does the atmosphere surrounding the house emerge?

A) From the air of heaven

B) From the aspect of the house

C) From the trees, the tarn, and the house itself

D) From the narrator’s sense of depression

2. Why does the narrator agree to stay with Roderick Usher after not seeing him for so many years?

A) The narrator is in love with Madeline.

B) Roderick is on the verge of death.

C) The narrator feels nostalgic to see his childhood friend.

D) Roderick’s request to visit him is so urgent that the narrator cannot refuse.

3. What changes does the narrator observe in Roderick Usher?

A) Roderick has become exquisitely sensitive to all kinds of stimuli.

B) Roderick has become stern and autocratic.

C) oderick has come to hate his sister.

D) Roderick is determined to marry and continue the family line.

4. Which description best fits Roderick?

A) Dark and saturnine, indicating a brooding nature

B) A weak chin, indicating a lack of moral energy

C) Long fingers, indicating a sensitive nature

D) Lean and hungry, indicating a rapacious greed

5. Why does Roderick want to wait a fortnight before burying Madeline?

A) It was Madeline’s last request.

B) He wants to be able to visit her daily.

C) He fears she may not really be dead.

D) It is a family tradition.

Related Titles

By Edgar Allan Poe

Study Guide
logo

A Dream Within a Dream

Edgar Allan Poe

A Dream Within a Dream

Edgar Allan Poe

STUDY + TEACHING GUIDE
logo

Annabel Lee

Edgar Allan Poe

Annabel Lee

Edgar Allan Poe

Study Guide
logo

Berenice

Edgar Allan Poe

Berenice

Edgar Allan Poe

Study Guide
logo

Hop-Frog

Edgar Allan Poe

Hop-Frog

Edgar Allan Poe

Study Guide
logo

Ligeia

Edgar Allan Poe

Ligeia

Edgar Allan Poe

Study Guide
logo

Tamerlane

Edgar Allan Poe

Tamerlane

Edgar Allan Poe

Study Guide
logo

The Black Cat

Edgar Allan Poe

The Black Cat

Edgar Allan Poe

STUDY + TEACHING GUIDE
logo

The Cask of Amontillado

Edgar Allan Poe

The Cask of Amontillado

Edgar Allan Poe

Study Guide
logo

The Conqueror Worm

Edgar Allan Poe

The Conqueror Worm

Edgar Allan Poe

Study Guide
logo

The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar

Edgar Allan Poe

The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar

Edgar Allan Poe

Study Guide
logo

The Gold Bug

Edgar Allan Poe

The Gold Bug

Edgar Allan Poe

Study Guide
logo

The Haunted Palace

Edgar Allan Poe

The Haunted Palace

Edgar Allan Poe

Study Guide
logo

The Imp of the Perverse

Edgar Allan Poe

The Imp of the Perverse

Edgar Allan Poe

Study Guide
logo

The Lake

Edgar Allan Poe

The Lake

Edgar Allan Poe

Study Guide
logo

The Man of the Crowd

Edgar Allan Poe

The Man of the Crowd

Edgar Allan Poe

STUDY + TEACHING GUIDE
logo

The Masque of the Red Death

Edgar Allan Poe

The Masque of the Red Death

Edgar Allan Poe

STUDY + TEACHING GUIDE
logo

The Murders in the Rue Morgue

Edgar Allan Poe

The Murders in the Rue Morgue

Edgar Allan Poe

Study Guide
logo

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket

Edgar Allan Poe

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket

Edgar Allan Poe

Study Guide
logo

The Oval Portrait

Edgar Allan Poe

The Oval Portrait

Edgar Allan Poe

Study Guide
logo

The Philosophy of Composition

Edgar Allan Poe

The Philosophy of Composition

Edgar Allan Poe