Name _______________________________ Date: ________________

The Tale

1. This story opens with a good deal of description of the relationship between a man and a woman. Who is the man, how much time will they spend together, and hat does the woman request of her companion?

2. Briefly, what tale does the man tell? Who are the two main characters, and what is the problem around which the story centers? What happens to the Northman?

3. The author emphasizes fog and the vastness of the ocean. His insistent use of these images suggests a connection with the theme of the story. For instance, he says that ‘The night blinds you frankly”; “Some day you will die from something you have not seen”; and “Mist is deceitful.” He also says that “Everything should be open in love and war. Open as the day.” How do these images relate to the theme of the story? State the theme of the story.

4. In retrospect, how does the passage “ A fog like this does muffle…then why didn’t he [sneak away]?” foreshadow the mistake the narrator makes?

5. Why does the narrator feel nauseated?