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 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 supernatural element of a bloodred moon
c. the use of complicated words to create a sense of mystery
d. the supernatural element of a path the narrator must follow

Explanation:

The excerpt explicitly describes a "bloodred moon" that casts an unusual, eerie light. This strange, unnatural celestial detail is a classic Gothic literary element, as Gothic fiction often uses supernatural or uncanny natural phenomena to build tension and an ominous mood. Option A is incorrect because the light is not sunlight; Option C is incorrect as the passage does not rely on overly complicated words for mystery; Option D is incorrect as there is no path the narrator must follow described.

Answer:

B. the supernatural element of a bloodred moon