Similarities Between The Raven And The Fall Of The House Of Usher

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Character and setting are typically thought to be separate elements in a single piece; Poe instead chooses to connect the two, adding a whole new aspect to his writing. In each of his pieces, The Raven and The Fall of the House of Usher, Poe establishes a connection between his characters and the setting to increase and define the emotional response evoked from the reader. The bond between the two is blatantly shown by Poe in his writing. This is revealed through how Poe links character and setting in both The Raven and The Fall of the House of Usher, and the reasons why he does so. In Poe’s short story, The Fall of the House of Usher, the connections that Poe attempts to establish between his characters and the setting are shown from the …show more content…

“I know not how it was – but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit” (308). Without even entering the house, the narrator can sense something is wrong just by the looks of the home. The depressingly drab weather along with the unkempt appearance of the old house adds to the ominous vibe the narrator is experiencing. The house’s appearance is not only haunting, but also the house, to the narrator, seems to be sickly. This personification is based upon the run-down appearance of the house. The house has a large crack, ranging from the roof all the way down to the bottom of the home. This crack shows the reader than the foundation of the house is weak and could fall apart any moment. The connection between the house and the characters living within, Roderick and his sister, Madeline, is first shown through Roderick’s letter to the narrator. In his letter, Roderick explains to his old friend that he hasn’t been himself lately. Roderick indeed has been sickly for the past few months. Roderick’s senses are all on edge and he is trapped in his dull, lifeless, and mysterious home. The home in which Roderick lives in represents he and his sister quite well. The home is quiet,

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