Question

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

His eyes were bent fixedly before him, and throughout his whole countenance there reigned a stony rigidity. But, as I placed my hand upon his shoulder, there came a strong shudder over his whole person; a sickly smile quivered about his lips; and I saw that he spoke in a low, hurried, and gibbering murmur, as if unconscious of my presence.

Which statement best describes the effect of narration on the story?
The narration cultivates apathy for Usher’s illness.
The narration cultivates concern about the men’s friendship.
The narration cultivates dread about Usher’s mental decline.
The narration cultivates hatred for Usher and his sister.

Answer 1

The narration cultivates dread about Usher’s mental decline.

The narrator’s detailed, unsettling descriptions (stony rigidity, a strong shudder, a sickly smile, low gibbering murmur) create increasing unease and imply a deteriorating, unstable mind.