... ironic meanings to his name. While he apparently still maintains the true wealth of his aristocratic family, he has lost the social rank that was once part of his family line. While this treasure is lost, he regains another treasure: a dead rival, whom he blames for his family's fall, sealed in the family vaults. There are many other instances of irony ... derived that the events in this story must be placed between 1738 and 1796 (314). Also shrouded in mystery is the motive behind the murder. Montresor states in the first line of the story that his reason for revenge is due to the insu...

• Word Count: 1547
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... the shadows twist and contort the house at will. The dreamy atmosphere is activated from the very beginning and never ends. King writes that Campbell produces a "cool, almost icy prose line, and his perspective is always a trifle offbeat, a trifle unsettling,"" (qtd. in "Horror Fiction-, 86). Campbell's surrealistic atmosphere mingles with a disturbing tone. The reader is supposed to feel uneasy when Jack ... in the way his characters see things and in the things they see,"" (qtd. in "Horror Fiction,"" 86). Campbell had to have mentally-weak and depressed characters in order to finish t...

• Word Count: 1611
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... is the type of writing skill authors use to give readers uncertainty about the conclusion of the story. In some stories, the reader may guess the conclusion before they even finish reading the introduction, but when authors add suspense in to their master pieces, the stories become far more interesting and keeps the reader wondering whether if the conclusion of the ... in the beginning of a story is an excellent way to start a story because that way it keeps the reader's attention at the beginning of the story. Just in the first line, Poe creates suspense by repeating the word "very" an...

• Word Count: 1300
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School