Question

guided practice
now, read another excerpt from \the fall of the house of usher\ by edgar allan poe, and try to answer this question about gothic literary elements.
suddenly there shot along the path a wild light, and i turned to see whence a gleam so unusual could have issued; for the vast house and its shadows were alone behind me. the radiance was that of the full, setting, and bloodred moon, which now shone vividly through that once barely discernible fissure, of which i have before spoken as extending from the roof of the building, in a zigzag direction, to the base.
what gothic literary element did poe use in this excerpt?
a. the use of sunlight to focus the reader’s attention
b. the use of complicated words to create a sense of mystery
c. the supernatural element of a bloodred moon
d. the supernatural element of a path the narrator must follow

Explanation:

The excerpt explicitly mentions a "bloodred moon" that creates an eerie, unnatural light, a classic supernatural Gothic literary element. Option A is incorrect as the light is not sunlight. Option B is incorrect as the focus is on the supernatural imagery, not complex language. Option D is incorrect as there is no path the narrator must follow described.

Answer:

C. the supernatural element of a bloodred moon