The Fall of The House of Usher Literary Analysis The Fall of The House of Usher written by Edgar Poe and published in 1839 is your typical Gothic tale designed to evoke fear and other unsettling feelings. It is also a goldmine of symbols, allusions, allegories, interpretations, themes, and other analytical perspectives of which to view the story. Poe was important in Gothic literature in the 19th century. He focused more on the psychological aspect of the characters rather than the traditional elements of the Gothic tales, and believed that terror and fear were valid literary subjects (Timmerman 235). The Fall of The House of Usher is widely regarded as his best story, and one of the best Gothic stories of all time (Timmerman 243). First off, the House of Usher is a symbol that represents both the physical house and the Usher heritage (Cook 16). Also, the upside-down reflection of the house in the lake symbolizes the backwards thinking of Roderick and Madeline, such as their isolation and unhealthy relationship (Cook 23). There is a clear connection between Roderick’s art and the events that occur. Such as the underground painting, which parallels with Madeline being buried underground. Also there’s the song about the decline of a house, which is ongoing the entire story. It is possible that Roderick can predict the future successfully (Spitzer 354). Or perhaps he causes the things he says to happen. When he screams that Madeline is at the door, sure enough it flies open and there she is. In addition, he predicts he shall die from fear, in this quote: To an anomalous species of terror I found him a bounden slave. "I shall perish," said he, "I must perish in this deplorable folly. Thus, thus, and not otherwise, shal... ... middle of paper ... ...ally. In addition, it provides some information on Poe’s personal life at the time and how his views and experiences with women line up with the women in the story. Zimmerman, Brett. "Phrenological allegory in Poe's 'The Fall of the House of Usher'." Mosaic [Winnipeg] 43.1 (2010): 57+. Academic OneFile. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. Mr. Zimmerman offers insight into the common allegorical interpretations of the story and what he personally considers it to be in this journal article. He points out that the hidden meanings people find for this story are in abundance, though they sometimes are contradictory. Phrenological allegory is utilized in this story through physical descriptions or actions, such as depicting Roderick’s close, perhaps incestuous, relationship with his sister. This interpretation will lay the foundation for how the character’s actions are explained.
In “Fall of the House of Usher”, the setting takes place at the house of Usher, whose friend, the main character, comes to visit because Usher is dying. He travels through the house, visiting the family members and sees the house is in a serious state of disrepair. A theory on the story
The house of Usher is a major source for symbolism, however, the house is not the only symbol in this story. Lady Madeline is as well a significant symbol in the story ; as her death causes Roderick to become ''so terribly altered '' and aged. Roderick's alliteration and Lady Madeline's death are a symbolization of the two twins being connected ; meaning that one ca not live with out the other. Poe uses all these different symbols to give deeper meaning to surrounding objects and people in his literature. along with
Cohen’s first thesis states that a monster is born out of fear and is a cultural body. Just like Cohen explained, Roderick creates his own monster completely out of fear. His mental illness is where the fear is born and out of fear he created his own personal monster. This monster never seems to go away, even when it was sealed underground. Ultimately it is this monster, that takes the shape of his sister, that kills him.
Poe, Edgar A. "The Fall of the House of Usher." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 6th
...h his sister or if he is, indeed, being possessed by evil forces. Nevertheless, Poe’s portrayal of Roderick’s deterioration raises important questions about the causes, stages, and effects of insanity (Paragraph from Wilson 56).
Poe also uses symbolism to represent the connection between the house and the Usher family. The description of the house itself has a shocking resemblance to that of Roderick and Madelyn Usher. Upon the main character’s arrival, Poe offers an interesting description of the building’s physical state. “The discoloration of age had been great. Minute fungi overspread the whole exterior, hanging in fine tangled web-work from the eves” (1266). Poe is able to establish an air of suspense by relating the state of the house to that of Roderick and Madelyn Usher.
Edgar Allan Poe is undoubtedly one of American Literature's legendary and prolific writers, and it is normal to say that his works touched on many aspects of the human psyche and personality. While he was no psychologist, he wrote about things that could evoke the reasons behind every person's character, whether flawed or not. Some would say his works are of the horror genre, succeeding in frightening his audience into trying to finish reading the book in one sitting, but making them think beyond the story and analyze it through imagery. The "Fall of the House of Usher" is one such tale that uses such frightening imagery that one can only sigh in relief that it is just a work of fiction. However, based on the biography of Poe, events that surrounded his life while he was working on his tales were enough to show the emotions he undoubtedly was experiencing during that time.
In "The Fall of the house of Usher," Edgar Allen Poe creates suspense and fear in the reader. He also tries to convince the reader not to let fear overcome him. Poe tries to evoke suspence in the reader's mind by using several diffenent scenes. These elements include setting, characters, plot, and theme. Poe uses setting primarily in this work to create atmosphere. The crack in the house and the dead trees imply that the house and its surroundings are not sturdy or promising. These elements indicate that a positive outcome is not expected. The thunder, strange light, and mist create a spooky feeling for the reader. The use of character provides action and suspense in the story through the characters' dialogue and actions. Roderick, who is hypochondriac, is very depressed. He has a fearful apperance and his senses are acute. This adds curiosity and anxiety. The narrator was fairly normal until he began to imagine things and become afraid himself. Because of this, the audience gets a sense that evil is lurking. Madeline is in a cataleptic state. She appears to be very weak and pail. Finally, when she dies, she is buried in a vault inside of the mansion. In this story, the plot consists of rising events, conflict, climax, and resolution. The rising events include the parts in the story when the narrator first arrives at the house, meets Roderick, and hears about Roderick's and Madeline's problems. Madeline's death and burial are part of the conflict. At this point, Roderick and the narrator begin to hear sounds throughout the house. The sounds are an omen that an evil action is about to occur. The climax is reached when Madeline comes back from the dead and she and her twin brother both die. Finally, the resolution comes when the narrator escapes from the house and turns around to watch it fall to the ground. The theme that Edgar Allen Poe is trying to convey is do not let fear take over your life because it could eventually destory you.
In “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allen Poe, The story takes place on the outskirts of Usher’s where the narrator is arriving. In the story we follow the narrator and his experience meeting his childhood friend Roderick Usher for the first time in years.
Edgar Allen Poe, a famous novelist from the 18th century, is known for being a treasure trove for allusions, illusions, clues, and all sorts of literary fun. Born in 1809, this Bostonian never had it easy. Marriage to a 13 year old cousin, family problems, and deaths surrounded him. Over time, such tremendous struggle began to reflect in his writing, creating the dark and moody tone we now see today. One such piece, The Fall of the House of Usher, tells the tale of a man who goes to visit a dying friend on his last days. Roderick Usher is the name of this dying man, although he doesn’t seem dead in the beginning. However, the deathly state should be of no importance to the reader; death is the very essence of Poe’s writing. Rather, the reader’s attention should be deviated toward the unusual twin of the story,
“The Fall of the House of Usher” is a story does not use the typical, first person point of view where the protagonist tells a personal account of a crime that he or she has committed. Instead, the narrator is a character of whom we know very little, who acts like an observer. The friend of Roderick invites the reader into the madness of the mind of fantasy and reality.
One of the first things to note is how the house is used to represent the state of Roderick’s mind and physical appearance. The house is in disrepair and has a sinister feel to it. This is what the narrator saw and felt when he was reunited with his old friend. He felt the chill run down his spine as if something was wrong. He could sense fear in the air. Also, Roderick feels trapped inside his own house, as he is trapped inside his own mind. His mind, like the house, is...
In the story “The Fall of the House of Usher”, Poe presents the history of the end of an illustrious family. As with many of Poe’s stories, setting and mood contribute greatly to the overall tale. Poe’s descriptions of the house itself as well as the inhabitants thereof invoke in the reader a feeling of gloom and terror. This can best be seen first by considering Poe’s description of the house and then comparing it to his description of its inhabitants, Roderick and Madeline Usher.
If there is one thing that is widely agreed upon in regards to Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” it is surely the fact that the short story is one of the greatest ever written. The very words that Poe selects and the manner in which he pieced them was nothing short of phenomenal. This however, is pretty much all that people are able to agree upon. Indeed, to almost everyone who reads it sees the story as great, but for different reasons. In a way the tale can be compared to a psychiatrist’s inkblots. While everyone may be looking at the same picture, they all see different things. What mainly gives “The Fall of the House of Usher” this quality is the double meanings and symbols Poe seems to use throughout.
The Fall of The House of Usher is an eerie, imaginative story. The reader is captured by the twisted reality. Many things in the story are unclear to the reader; but no less interesting. For instance, even the conclusion of the story lends it self to argument. Did the house of Usher truly "fall"? Or, is this event simply symbolism? In either case, it makes a dramatic conclusion. Also dramatic is the development of the actual house. It seems to take on a life of its own. The house is painted with mystery. The narrator himself comments on the discerning properties of the aged house; "What was it, I paused to think, what was it that so unnerved me in the contemplation of the house of Usher" (54)? The house is further developed in the narrator's references to the house. "...In this mansion of gloom" (55). Even the surroundings serve the purpose. The narrator describes the landscape surrounding as having, "... an atmosphere which had no affinity with the air of heaven, but which had reeked up from the decayed trees, and the gray wall, and the silent tarn a pestilent and mystic vapor, dull, sluggish, faintly discernible, and leaden hued" (55). This fantastic imagery sets the mood of the twisted events. Roderick Usher complements the forbidding surroundings terrifically. His temperament is declining and he seems incessantly agitated and nervous. And, as it turns out, Roderick's fears are valid. For soon enough, before his weakening eyes, stands the Lady Madeline of Usher. This shocking twist in the story is developed through the book that the narrator is reading. The last line that he reads is, "Madman! I tell you that she now stands without the door" (66)! Without suspecting such an event, the reader soon finds Lady Madeline actually standing at the door. She is described as having, "...blood on her white robes, and the evidence of some bitter struggle upon every portion of her emaciated frame" (66). This line not only induces terror but invites debate. Upon seeing the woman the reader has to consider the cause of her death.