Read the excerpt from Chapter 41 of Moby-Dick.The White Whale swam before him as the monomaniac incarnation of all those malicious agencies which some deep men feel eating in them, till they are left living on with half a heart and half a lung.What theme of the novel does this excerpt best address?
Read this excerpt from chapter 41 of Moby-Dick using comprehension strategies.If such a furious trope may stand, his special lunacy stormed his general sanity, and carried it, and turned all its concentred cannon upon its own mad mark; so that far from having lost his strength, Ahab, to that one end, did now possess a thousand fold more potency than ever he had sanely brought to bear upon any one reasonable object.What is the meaning of this excerpt?
Which of Ahab’s character traits does Melville develop most thoroughly in Chapter 41 of Moby-Dick?
Which best explains why Melville begins Chapter 41 of Moby-Dick with a detailed description of the White Whale?
Read this excerpt from chapter 41 of Moby-Dick.And, when running into more sufferable latitudes, the ship, with mild stun'sails spread, floated across the tranquil tropics, and, to all appearances, the old man's delirium seemed left behind him with the Cape Horn swells, and he came forth from his dark den into the blessed light and air; even then, when he bore that firm, collected front, however pale, and issued his calm orders once again; and his mates thanked God the direful madness was now gone; even then, Ahab, in his hidden self, raved on.Which words from the excerpt best convey the mood?
Read the excerpt from “The Tell-Tale Heart,” by Edgar Allan Poe.I talked more quickly—more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men?—but the noise steadily increased.What is the effect of parallelism in this excerpt?
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?
Read the excerpt from a short story.I descended the steps to the cellar, reminding myself that the smell of dirt was not to be feared. The earthen walls shone with moisture, and the rows of jarred fruit gleamed. I loathed these errands and doubted my ability to discern a peach from a pear in the dim light. I held a jar inches from my eyes and concluded it was some undesirable green—beans or peas—to be retrieved at a later date. As I mused, something crept stealthily from the shadows, and pounced unexpectedly from the summer’s stash.Which best describes the tone of the excerpt?
Read the excerpt from a short story.After two hours of a tedious cinematic production, the dim aisle lights flickered back on. Having endured scenes of fake gore and the phony distress of deficient actors, I stood to leave with a measure of relief. I would breathe easy in the open air, away from the greasy odors and the sniffling man whose cough had noisily barked over the on-screen dialogue. My steps slowed as the queue of exiting patrons jammed the aisles. Then the sliver of light from the exit door went dark. The theater was briefly silent, and I heard the unmistakable sound of a deadbolt locking.What technique does the author use to build suspense in the excerpt?
In Chapter 3 of The Scarlet Letter, how does the magistracy’s act of marking Hester Prynne with a scarlet letter serve to maintain its power in the community?
Read this excerpt from chapter 1 of The Scarlet Letter.Certain it is, that, some fifteen or twenty years after the settlement of the town, the wooden jail was already marked with weather-stains and other indications of age, which gave a yet darker aspect to its beetle-browed and gloomy front. The rust on the ponderous iron-work of its oaken door looked more antique than any thing else in the new world.The author most likely includes the words “darker aspect,” “beetle-browed,” “gloomy,” and “ponderous” in order to
Read the excerpt from a short story.They had laughed at the shabbiness of the hotel. “Oh well,” they’d said, “we aren’t going to spend any time inside.” And they had not. They’d spent the day and evening sightseeing and had not retreated to their rooms until they were spent. Now Ana appraised her modest accommodations, remembering how the window in her room had amused her friends, as it offered a view of a brick wall not six inches away. “You get what you pay for!” they’d exclaimed, closing the heavy curtains.The window captured Ana’s attention again. As she readied for bed, she heard a persistent tapping coming from outside. Ana reasoned with herself, reminded herself that only small bird or bug in distress could fit in such a space. The tapping suggested otherwise, and she turned to investigate.How does the excerpt exemplify the ideas King describes in "Danse Macabre"?
Read this excerpt from chapter 1 of The Scarlet Letter.A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes.Which best describes the effect of the words “sad-colored,” “steeple-crowned,” and “iron spikes”?
Read the excerpt from "The Adventure of the Mysterious Picture."“And now for the haunted chamber,” said the Irish captain, taking his candle.“Aye, who’s to be the hero of the night?” said the gentleman with the ruined head.“That we shall see in the morning,” said the old gentleman with the nose: “whoever looks pale and grizzly will have seen the ghost.”“Well, gentlemen,” said the Baronet, “there’s many a true thing said in jest.”How does the excerpt exemplify Gothic fiction?
Read the excerpt from "The Fall of the House of Usher," by Edgar Allan Poe.Although, as boys, we had been even intimate associates, yet I really knew very little of my friend. His reserve had been always excessive and habitual. What does this excerpt reveal about the narrator of the story?
In Chapter 3 of The Scarlet Letter, which best describes the magistracy’s main goal with respect to the punishment it delivers to Hester Prynne for her crime?
Read the excerpt from “Raven,” by Edgar Allan Poe.And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtainThrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;- This it is, and nothing more."What is the effect of parallelism in this excerpt?
Read the excerpt from a short story.I thanked her again for the cake, and quietly retreated from the porch. A blast of air conditioning assailed me as I reentered our home and closed the summer heat behind me. Placing the cake on the table with the others, I noted its carefully scalloped frosting with mounting sadness. Clutching the doorjamb, I suppressed a sob. The reality of our loss would wait.Which words from the excerpt convey the tone?
Which excerpt from Chapter 3 of The Scarlet Letter is the best evidence that the stranger in the marketplace wants to keep his true identity a secret?
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