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3.05 Reading Journal: In The Premature Burial By Edgar Allen Poe

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3.05 Reading Journal
Part A

In the Premature Burial, by Edgar Allen Poe, the author speaks of his terror upon being buried while not dead. The theme of overwhelming terror and the way it alters one mentally is used to show the narrator as he is swallowed up by his dread of being buried alive. The narrator is afflicted with catalepsy, which is a nervous condition that inflicts a trance or seizure with a loss of sensation and consciousness accompanied by rigidity of the body. The narrator internally fears that his paralyzed body will be falsely misconstrued as dead. This can be seen by how it is said that "No event is so terribly well adapted to inspire the supremeness of bodily and mental distress, as is burial before death." the narrator includes …show more content…

How would you describe the narrator’s mental state? Are his actions rational?

I would describe the narrator’s mental state as fearful. He is desperately trying to avoid a premature burial. His actions are rational at his age many people are buried prematurely.

8. What techniques does Poe use in the second paragraph to build suspense? What is the effect on you, the reader?

The techniques that Poe uses in the second paragraph to build suspense is the application of quick paced sentence structure and a lot of punctuation.

9. Based on the descriptions here, what has happened to the narrator?

The descriptions show that the narrator feels helpless and powerless. He attempts to escape but to no avail.

10. How does changing sentence structure from long to short and choppy help build suspense? What emotions do you feel as you read?

Short and choppy sentences create suspense by changing the speed at which the reader reads the line. This creates an eagerness to continue that builds excitement.

11. What has happened? If you were the narrator, what would you feel hearing these voices?

If I were the narrator when he heard foreign voices, then I would feel helpless and scared. Although there is a chance of

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