Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of this story.

Read this excerpt from “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe.

One morning, in cool blood, I slipped a noose about its neck and hung it to the limb of a tree;—hung it with the tears streaming from my eyes, and with the bitterest remorse at my heart;—hung it because I knew that it had loved me, and because I felt it had given me no reason of offence…

Which statements describe the effect of the unreliable narrator in this passage?

Select each correct answer.

Readers acknowledge the honesty contained in the narrator's account.

Readers realize that the narrator has a dependable explanation.

Readers question the validity of the narrator's explanation of his feelings.

Readers experience a sense of suspense about what the narrator might do next.