What is the most hideous of fates The narrator refers to in The Pit and the Pendulum?
Being in darkness. Buried alive. According to the narrator, what would be the most “hideous of fates” To be buried alive bc it was Poe’s biggest fear.
What is the first line of the pit and the pendulum?
“The Pit and the Pendulum” is a study of the effect terror has on the narrator, starting with the opening line, which suggests that he is already suffering from death anxiety (“I was sick — sick unto death with that long agony”).
What is the impact of the first person narrator in The Pit and the Pendulum?
How does the first-person point of view affect “The Pit and the Pendulum”? Because it shows only what the narrator knows at any given point, it increases suspense and tension. Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of this story. Read this excerpt from “The Pit and the Pendulum” by Edgar Allan Poe.
What does the narrator first see when he wakes up in the dungeon in The Pit and the Pendulum?
When he wakes up again, he’s tied to a wooden frame, with just his left arm still free. On the ceiling above, he notices the figure of Father Time holding a pendulum. The pendulum has begun to lower and to swing. What’s worse, our narrator sees that the pendulum’s bottom is a razor-sharp crescent of steel.
What kind of death does he associate with the pit Why might the pit put him in such a state of terror?
4a. What kind of death does he associate with the pit? He associates death of hideous moral horrors like hell.
What aspects of his personality allow him to survive this ordeal?
Expert Answers The narrator is very curious and logical, and his ability to distract himself from his terror by considering his space and how best to understand his situation likely saves him from losing his mind in the dungeon.
What has the narrator figured out about the space he is in?
a circle
How does the narrator use rats to free himself from beneath the pendulum?
The narrator realizes that there are now rats coming out of the center pit and decides to rub the meat on the ropes that are securing him to the frame. The rats eventually eat through the rope, and the narrator becomes free.
What happens at the end of the story who saves him?
The novel ends after Bob Ewell attacks Scout and Jem, and Boo Radley rescues them, killing Bob in the process. Atticus is adamantly against lying to protect Jem.
How does the narrator free himself from his bindings?
Expert Answers This is one of the best and most innovative parts of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Pit and the Pendulum.” When the narrator awakes once again, he finds himself tied down; above him he sees something swinging back and forth. He finally realizes it is a giant blade, slowly inching down toward him.
What does the narrator fear upon opening his eyes?
After swooning, the narrator awakens in total darkness; before opening his eyes, he imagines the horrors that await him. At last, his worse fears are confirmed: “The blackness of eternal night encompassed me.” At first, he wonders if he is dead yet still mentally conscious.
What does the narrator remember upon awakening?
What does the narrator remember upon awakening? It’s darkness, it probably disturbs him because he can’t see anything.