Question

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

Shaking this off with a gasp and a struggle, I uplifted myself upon the pillows, and, peering earnestly within the intense darkness of the chamber, hearkened -- I know not why, except that an instinctive spirit prompted me -- to certain low and indefinite sounds which came, through the pauses of the storm, at long intervals, I knew not whence. Overpowered by an intense sentiment of horror, unaccountable yet unendurable, I threw on my clothes with haste.

Which word from this excerpt best suggests that the narrator is unreliable?
“Uplifted” suggests the narrator's act of propping against a pillow.
“Peering” suggests the narrator's act of looking into the darkness.
“Earnestly” shows the narrator's focus and attentiveness.
“Overpowered” suggests the narrator’s lack of control.

Answer 1

“Overpowered.”

Explanation: it signals the narrator is driven by overwhelming emotion (“an intense sentiment of horror, unaccountable yet unendurable”), which can distort perception and judgment and thus makes his account less reliable.