Insert
The source that follows is:
- Source A: 19th-century prose fiction
- The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe
An extract from a work first published in 1843.
This extract is from The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, where an unnamed narrator insists on his sanity while vividly describing his heightened senses and a growing fixation, building gothic tension and drawing the reader into his disturbed perspective.
Source A
1 The ordinary accounts of this vortex had by no means prepared me for what I saw. That of Jonas Ramus, which is perhaps the most circumstantial of any, cannot impart the faintest conception either of the magnificence, or of the horror of the scene—or of the wild bewildering sense of the novel which confounds the beholder. I am not sure from what point of view the writer in
6 question surveyed it, nor at what time; but it could neither have been from the summit of Helseggen, nor during a storm. There are some passages of his description, nevertheless, which may be quoted for their details, although their effect is exceedingly feeble in conveying an impression of the spectacle.
11 “Between Lofoden and Moskoe,” he says, “the depth of the water is between thirty-six and forty fathoms; but on the other side, toward Ver (Vurrgh) this depth decreases so as not to afford a convenient passage for a vessel, without the risk of splitting on the rocks, which happens even in the calmest weather.
16 When it is flood, the stream runs up the country between Lofoden and Moskoe with a boisterous rapidity; but the roar of its impetuous ebb to the sea is scarce equalled by the loudest and most dreadful cataracts; the noise being heard several leagues off, and the vortices or pits are of such an extent and depth, that if a ship comes within its attraction, it is inevitably absorbed
21 and carried down to the bottom, and there beat to pieces against the rocks; and when the water relaxes, the fragments thereof are thrown up again. But these intervals of tranquility are only at the turn of the ebb and flood, and in calm weather, and last but a quarter of an hour, its violence gradually returning. When the stream is most boisterous, and its fury heightened by a
26 storm, it is dangerous to come within a Norway mile of it. Boats, yachts, and ships have been carried away by not guarding against it before they were within its reach. It likewise happens frequently, that whales come too near the stream, and are overpowered by its violence; and then it is impossible to describe their howlings and bellowings in their fruitless struggles to
31 disengage themselves. A bear once, attempting to swim from Lofoden to Moskoe, was caught by the stream and borne down, while he roared terribly, so as to be heard on shore. Large stocks of firs and pine trees, after being absorbed by the current, rise again broken and torn to such a degree as if bristles grew upon them. This plainly shows the bottom to consist of craggy rocks, among
36 which they are whirled to and fro. This stream is regulated by the flux and reflux of the sea—it being constantly high and low water every six hours. In the year 1645, early in the morning of Sexagesima Sunday, it raged with such noise and impetuosity that the very stones of the houses on the coast fell to the ground.”
41 In regard to the depth of the water, I could not see how this could have been ascertained at all in the immediate vicinity of the vortex. The “forty fathoms” must have reference only to portions of the channel close upon the shore either of Moskoe or Lofoden. The depth in the centre of the Moskoe-ström
46 must be immeasurably greater; and no better proof of this fact is necessary than can be obtained from even the sidelong glance into the abyss of the whirl which may be had from the highest crag of Helseggen. Looking down from this pinnacle upon the howling Phlegethon below, I could not help smiling at the simplicity with which the honest Jonas Ramus records, as a matter difficult of
51 belief, the anecdotes of the whales and the bears; for it appeared to me, in fact, a self-evident thing, that the largest ship of the line in existence, coming within the influence of that deadly attraction, could resist it as little as a feather the hurricane, and must disappear bodily and at once.
56 The attempts to account for the phenomenon—some of which, I remember, seemed to me sufficiently plausible in perusal—now wore a very different and unsatisfactory aspect.
Questions
Instructions
- Answer all questions.
- Use black ink or black ball point pen.
- Fill in the boxes on this page.
- You must answer the questions in the spaces provided.
- Do not write outside the box around each page or on blank pages.
- Do all rough work in this book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.
- You must refer to the insert booklet provided.
- You must not use a dictionary.
Information
- The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
- Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes
- The maximum mark for this paper is 80.
- There are 40 marks for Section A and 40 marks for Section B.
- You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers.
- You will be assessed on the quality of your reading in Section A.
- You will be assessed on the quality of your writing in Section B.
Advice
- You are advised to spend about 15 minutes reading through the source and all five questions you have to answer.
- You should make sure you leave sufficient time to check your answers.
Section A: Reading
Answer all questions in this section. You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this section.
Question 1
Read again the first part of the source, from lines 1 to 5.
Answer all parts of this question.
Choose one answer for each question.
1.1 What had not prepared the narrator/speaker for what the narrator/speaker saw?
- The ordinary accounts of this vortex
- The wild bewildering sense of the novel
- The horror of the scene
[1 mark]
1.2 Which account is described as perhaps the most circumstantial of any?
- That of Jonas Ramus
- That of the writer
- That of the beholder
[1 mark]
1.3 What judgement does the narrator make about Jonas Ramus's written account of the vortex compared with what the narrator actually saw?
- It is detailed but does not convey the true impact of the scene the narrator experienced.
- It matches the narrator's experience exactly and leaves nothing out.
- It is a deliberate exaggeration intended to frighten readers.
[1 mark]
1.4 What does the narrator indicate about earlier descriptions of the vortex, including the one by Jonas Ramus?
- They are detailed but fail to convey the true splendour and dread of the experience
- They are completely accurate and fully prepared the narrator for what was witnessed
- They were produced from the same viewpoint as the narrator's observation
[1 mark]
Question 2
Look in detail at this extract, from lines 16 to 30 of the source:
16 When it is flood, the stream runs up the country between Lofoden and Moskoe with a boisterous rapidity; but the roar of its impetuous ebb to the sea is scarce equalled by the loudest and most dreadful cataracts; the noise being heard several leagues off, and the vortices or pits are of such an extent and depth, that if a ship comes within its attraction, it is inevitably absorbed
21 and carried down to the bottom, and there beat to pieces against the rocks; and when the water relaxes, the fragments thereof are thrown up again. But these intervals of tranquility are only at the turn of the ebb and flood, and in calm weather, and last but a quarter of an hour, its violence gradually returning. When the stream is most boisterous, and its fury heightened by a
26 storm, it is dangerous to come within a Norway mile of it. Boats, yachts, and ships have been carried away by not guarding against it before they were within its reach. It likewise happens frequently, that whales come too near the stream, and are overpowered by its violence; and then it is impossible to describe their howlings and bellowings in their fruitless struggles to
How does the writer use language here to convey the power and danger of the whirlpool? You could include the writer’s choice of:
- words and phrases
- language features and techniques
- sentence forms.
[8 marks]
Question 3
You now need to think about the structure of the source as a whole. This text is from the start of a story.
How has the writer structured the text to create a sense of awe?
You could write about:
- how awe deepens throughout the source
- how the writer uses structure to create an effect
- the writer's use of any other structural features, such as changes in mood, tone or perspective.
[8 marks]
Question 4
For this question focus on the second part of the source, from line 41 to the end.
In this part of the source, the narrator smiles when reading about the bear and whales being caught in the whirlpool. The writer suggests the reality of the whirlpool is so much more terrifying that these old horror stories now seem small and simple.
To what extent do you agree and/or disagree with this statement?
In your response, you could:
- consider your impressions of the narrator and the reality of the whirlpool
- comment on the methods the writer uses to suggest the whirlpool's terrifying power
- support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Question 5
This weekend, after sorting old boxes in the loft, your family will gather for a short reading of creative pieces.
Choose one of the options below for your entry.
-
Option A: Describe a second-hand bookshop after closing from your imagination. You may choose to use the picture provided for ideas:
-
Option B: Write the opening of a story about an old promise that resurfaces.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]