Answer the following questions. When asked for “textual evidence,” you must provide a quote from the story to support your answer.

Question

Question 1: What does Billy see inside the bed and breakfast when he initially looks into the window?
A little yellow notice that repeats the words bed and breakfast
Question 2: What do you think “dachshund” means in the following sentence from the story? “On the carpet in front of the fire, a pretty little dachshund was curled up asleep with its nose tucked into its belly.”
Using the text, find supporting evidence that explains why your research supports your inference. An inference is an interpretation of the text based on clues you find while reading. These clues are called context clues.
A dachshund is a weiner dog that is sleeping
Question 3: Read the following excerpt. Why do you think the author repeated “Bed and Breakfast?” Why did the author manipulate time, in this case, to slow it down? Did it create mystery, tension, suspense, etc.?
“Billy decided that he would walk on and take a look at The Bell and Dragon before making up his mind. He turned to go. And now a queer thing happened to him. He was in the act of stepping back and turning away from the window when all at once his eye was caught and held in the most peculiar manner by the small notice that was there. BED AND BREAKFAST, it said. BED AND BREAKFAST, BED AND BREAKFAST, BED AND BREAKFAST. “
The repetition of "BED AND BREAKFAST" highlights its importance, reflecting Billy's mental state and obsession. By manipulating time to slow down the moment, the author builds tension and suspense around Billy's decision. This creates an atmosphere of mystery, suggesting that the bed and breakfast holds deeper significance in his journey.
Question 4: When did you start to think something was peculiar about the bed and breakfast? Provide textual evidence, which means a direct quote from the story. Remember to put it in quotation marks.

Question 5: Make an inference about what you think happens to Billy. Explain what prior knowledge you have and what textual evidence was given. Textual evidence needs to be a direct quote from the story.

Question 6: The word choice that the landlady uses shows a positive connotation about previous guests, but by the end of the story, we are left to infer something negative has happened to them.
Why did the author choose to have the landlady speak using only positive connotation words?
Use one outside source and conduct research to answer this question. Cite your source by providing the complete URL link as a reference.
(Answer question 4 6 and 6 in simple threes sentence answers)

Answer 1

Question 4: I started to think something was peculiar about the bed and breakfast when the author described the way Billy was entranced by the notice. The text states, “And now a queer thing happened to him. He was in the act of stepping back... when all at once his eye was caught and held in the most peculiar manner.” This indicates that there was something unusual about the situation that caught his attention and made him hesitate.

Question 5: I infer that something negative happens to Billy at the bed and breakfast based on the eerie atmosphere and the landlady's behavior. Prior knowledge of horror narratives suggests that unusual occurrences often foreshadow danger. The textual evidence, “But there was something about the old lady… that made him feel a little uneasy,” supports this inference, hinting at foreboding.

Question 6: The author likely chose to have the landlady use positive connotation words to create a stark contrast with the unsettling reality. This technique effectively builds suspense and misleads the reader, enhancing the story’s tension. According to research on literary devices, using positive language can mask underlying threats, allowing for deeper psychological horror. [Source: https://www.litcharts.com/literary-devices-and-terms/irony]