Question

guided practice
read this passage from “the fall of the house of usher.”
and now, some days of bitter grief having elapsed, an observable
change came over the features of the mental disorder of my friend.
his ordinary manner had vanished. his ordinary occupations were
neglected or forgotten. he roamed from chamber to chamber with
hurried, unequal, and object - less step. the pallor of his
countenance had assumed, if possible, a more ghastly hue—but the
luminiousness of his eye had utterly gone out. the once occasional
huskiness of his tone was heard no more; and a tremulous quaver,
as if of extreme terror, habitually characterized his utterance.
which element of gothic literature is most obvious in this passage?
a. characters in psychological and/or physical torment
b. macabre or violent incident
c. bleak or remote setting
d. supernatural or otherworldly elements

Explanation:

The passage focuses on the narrator's friend's visible mental and physical decline: his abandoned routines, unsteady movements, ghastly pale appearance, and terror-filled, tremulous speech, all hallmarks of a character in psychological and physical torment, a core Gothic literature element. The other options do not match: no violent/macabre incident, no remote setting, no supernatural elements are described here.

Answer:

A. Characters in psychological and/or physical torment