Alienation is a feeling of not belonging in society, caused by the general public’s or one’s own view of the world that causes a clash between what is considered good or bad—dissimilar or customary. Throughout the centuries, alienation has occurred constantly due to society’s fears of something or someone so dissimilar to what is considered part of the norm. And although there are two types of alienation—one that is self-decided and one that is forced upon by others—the negative results of it always remain the same. These harmful consequences as well as isolation itself is exposed and criticized in many works of literature, specifically: “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Gilman. Whether it is self-decided or forced upon by others, in these mentioned works of literature, the idea that isolation will always end in tumultuous results greatly reinforces the fragility and the flaws of human nature as well as the negative factors of alienation itself.
In “The Yellow Wallpaper”, the nameless narrator’s forced alienation ends in her demise, thereby proving the infirmity and imperfections of humans as well as the knowledge that alienation will only harm people. In the beginning of the story, the narrator, who is suffering from a post-partum depression, acts very demure with her husband and constantly lets him win their little tiffs and refuses to say “no more on that score” (Gilman 5), believing that since he is a man and she is a woman, he is allowed to control her anyway he deems necessary. This leads to her imprisonment to her room for most of the day and it slowly causes her to go insane because of her husband’s pride. Her husband keeps ins...
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...lienation is because of society’s fears of being confronted by something “alien” or “out of place” in their “normal” community. Thus, due to the clash between “good” and “bad”, alienation—the feeling of not belonging in the society one lives in—occurs.
Works Cited
“Of Mice and Men.” Novels for Students. Vol. 1. 1997. Print.
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 1993. Print.
“The Yellow Wallpaper.” Short Stories for Students. Vol. 1. 1997. Print.
“The Fall of the House of Usher.” Short Stories for Students. Vol. 2. 1997. Print.
Mowery, Carl. “Short Stories for Students.” Ed.2. Kathleen Wilson. Detroit, MI: Gale Research,
1997. 58-62. Print.
“Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper (1899).” n.p. n.d. 30 May 2011.
“The Fall of the House of Usher.” The Literature Network. The Literature Network. 2011. 30
May 2011.
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
Poe, Edgar A, and David D. Galloway. The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings:
In Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher,” the mythic connection between the narrator’s friend Usher and his family home relays an important commentary on the nature of aristocratic American life. The “mental disorder” (110) that Usher suffers from is indicative of the relationship between the individual and his class status. Usher has an abundance of money and comes from an “ancient family” (111) of a reputable status; however, when the narrator reveals that there is no “enduring branch” (111) to continue the Usher line, it becomes clear that the aristocratic man is utterly defined by the material. This notion can then be expanded to the larger American society at the time of Poe’s writing: through his depiction of Usher’s helplessness and inability to control his environment, Poe is making...
concern to men of the seventeenth century. Out of the oppressive setting of the seventeenth century
The first and most evident example of alienation and isolation in the novel is Len...
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.
The Fall of the House of Usher is about an old house that is very gross and creepy along with how a family can not keep their bloodline going. The house is falling apart and very worn down. There are some things that contributed for the the house being worn down. “No portion of the masonry had fallen; and there appeared to be a wild inconsistency between its
Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, sets a tone that is dark, gloomy, and threatening. His inclusion of highly descriptive words and various forms of figurative language enhance the story’s evil nature, giving the house and its inhabitants eerie and “supernatural” qualities. Poe’s effective use of personification, symbolism, foreshadowing, and doubling create a morbid tale leading to, and ultimately causing, the fall of (the house of) Usher.
“The Fall of the House of Usher” and “House Taken Over,” are two short stories that
...nderson, 107). The novels demonstrate that humans react to alienation by choosing to alienate themselves rather than allow others to alienate them. The protagonists intentionally withdrew themselves from society before society could hurt them by denying them acceptance. They equally fear rejection which is common among human kind.
In the stories “To Set Our House in Order” and “The Lamp at Noon” the authors are both able to effectively communicate that alienation is self-inflicted, while using multiple different techniques. As a result it becomes apparent that each author can take a similar approach to the alienation of a character in the story yet develop the theme in a unique way.
Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Fall of the House of Usher.” The American Tradition in Literature. Ed. George Perkins and Barbara Perkins. ___________________: McGraw Hill., 2008. Pg-pg. Print.
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.
The Depiction of Fear in The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe
No matter what your interpretation of “The Fall of the House of Usher” may be, it is almost impossible to deny it as one of the greatest short stories ever written. It stands as one of the many great testaments to the literary genius of Edgar Allan Poe and helps affirm his high ranking of American history.