Introduction.docx

Introduction.docx

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Introduction

Introduction

"TheFalloftheHouseofUsher,"writtenbyEdgarAllanPoein1839,isregardedasanearlyandsupremeexampleoftheGothichorrorstory,thoughPoeascribedtheterm"arabesque"tothisandothersimilarworks,atermthathefeltbestdescribeditsflowery,ornateprose.Featuringsupernaturaltheatrics,whichcriticshaveinterpretedanumberofways,thestoryexhibitsPoe'sconceptof"artforart'ssake,"theideathatastoryshouldbedevoidofsocial,political,ormoralteaching.

Inplaceofamoral,Poecreatesamood—terror,inthiscase—throughhisuseoflanguage.Thisphilosophyof"artforart'ssake"laterevolvedintotheliterarymovementofAestheticismwhicheschewedthesymbolicandpreachyliteratureoftheday—especiallyinEngland—inanattempttoovercomestrictVictorianconventions.Becauseofhisemphasisonstyleandlanguage,Poeproclaimedhiswritingareactiontotypicalliteratureoftheday,whichhecalled"theheresyoftheDidactic"foritstendencytopreach,CondemnedbysomecriticsforitstendenciestowardRomanticism,aliterarymovementmarkedbymelodramaticandmaudlinexaggerations,"TheFalloftheHouseofUsher"wasneverthelesstypicalofPoe'sshortstoriesinthatitpresentsanarratorthrustintoapsychologicallyintensesituationinwhichotherworldlyforcesconspiretodriveatleastoneofthecharactersinsane。

Overview

"TheFalloftheHouseofUsher"isoneofPoe'smostpopularshortstories.

Moreover,analyzingthisstoryprovidesabasisforunderstandingPoe'sgothicismandhisliterarytheories.AsinallofPoe'sshortstories,"TheFalloftheHouseofUsher"concentratesona"singleeffect"—inthiscase,thedegenerationanddecayoftheUsherhouseandfamily.Inthestory'sopening,forexample,thenarratorcommentsuponthe"insufferablegloom"thatpervadeshisbeingashenoticesthe"fewranksedges,"the"whitetrunksofdecayedtrees,"theunruffledlusterofthe"blackandluridtarn,"andthehouse'svacant"eye-likewindows."

Auther

Characters

Narrator

TheunnamednarratorofthestoryisdescribedasachildhoodfriendofRodenckUsher's.However,thenarratornotesthathedoesnotknowRoderickverywellbecauseRoderick's"reservehadalwaysbeenexcessiveandhabitual."ThenarratorvisitstheUsherfamilyhouseafterRodericksendshimanemotionalletterbegginghimtocome.Whileheseemsskepticalofthesupernaturalandtriestofindrationalexplanationsforthedisconcertingthingshappeningaroundhim,thenarratorfindshimselfgrowingincreasinglydisturbedbythehouseandtheUshers.Attheendofthestory,whenbothRoderickandMadelinedie,hefleesandwatchesthehousecrumbleandfallintoasmalllake.Thenarratorhasbeendescribedasanobjectivewitnesstotheeventsinthestory,withsomesuggestingherepresentsrationality.

Setting

Withtheexceptionof"TheGoldBug"and"MurdersintheRueMorgue,"Poe'ssettingsareusuallyremoteintimeandspace,enhancingthestory'smysteryandother-worldliness."TheFalloftheHouseofUsher"hasnodefinitesettingexceptforthe"singularlydrearytractofcountry"throughwhichthenarratormusttraveltoreachtheHouseofUsher.

SuitsofarmorandsubterraneandungeonstendtosuggestaEuropeanratherthananAmericanlocale,butthesedetailswereestablishedtrappingsofthe.....

LiteraryQualities

Poe'sliteraryskillisreadilyapparentin"TheFalloftheHouseofUsher,"andoneofhismostvividtechniquesisthestory'stone.Poechoosesdetailsthathighlighttheterrorofnearmadness,prematureburial,anddeathanddestruction.ForemostishisdescriptionofthegloomyUsherhouse,andthefissurethatseemstoextendfromthehouse'srooftothe"sullenwatersofthetarn."

Equallyimportantinsettingthetoneistheviolentstormonanightthatis"singularinitsterrorandbeauty."Thethundercrashes,thelightningboltsflash,andthewindhowlsasMadelinemakesherwayfromthetombtothedoorofRoderick'sstudy.Roderick'sandMadeline'sdeathsarefurtherheightenedasthenarratornotesthatthe"blood-redmoon...nowshonevividly.....

Themes

ThesetopicsconcernthegeneralworksofEdgarAllanPoe.

SanityandInsanity

Poeusesthethemeofinsanityvs.insanity,andallthenuancesinbetween,inmanyofhisshortstories,oftencharginghisinsanenarratorswiththefutiletaskofprovingthattheyarenotmad.Often,instoriessuchasTheTell-TaleHeartandTheImpofthePerverse,thoughtherespectivenarratorsofeachclaimtheyareofsoundmindandseemcompletelyunremorseful,theyaredriventoconfessbyapersistentreminderoftheircrime.Inothertales,suchasTheCaskofAmontillado,thenarratorisunquestionablyinsane,andyetthereisnoremorseandnoconfession,andthoughhisactionsareinsane,heisverylevelheadedwhenitcomestotheirexecution.

Style

PointofView

Toldfromthepointofviewofanunnamedfirst-personnarrator,thisstorydoesnotusetheunreliablenarratortechniquetoexposeunbelievableorhorrificevents.Instead,thenarratorismoreofanobserveratfirst,bringingthereaderalongasheencountersthegloomanddesperationofboththeHouseofUsheranditsinhabitants.Ashestaysinthehouse,heisdrawndeeperintothespellofthehouseandhisnervousnessincreases,asdoesthereader's.

Setting

Setinthedreary,woefulHouseofUsher,muchofthisstory'stoneandfeelingofclaustrophobicnervousnesscomesfromitssettings.TheactiontakesplacesolelyinthehouseinwhichtheUshershavesustainedtheirillnessesofbodyandmind,andtheseclosequartersseemtoaffectallwhocomein.....

HistoricalContext

"TheFalloftheHouseofUsher"wasfirstpublishedin1839inBurton'sGentleman'sMagazine.Atatimewhenmostpopularliteraturewashighlymoralistic,Poe'sstorieswereconcernedonlywithcreatingemotionaleffects.Poechargedthatmostofhiscontemporarieswere"didactic,"thatis,theywerepreoccupiedwithmakingreligiousorpoliticalstatementsintheirwritingstothedetrimentofthefictionitself.Hisowntalesofterror,inwhichheoftendepictedthepsychologicaldisintegrationofunstableoremotionallyoverwroughtcharacters,wereinsharpcontrasttotheworksofmorehighlypraisedwritersofthetime.BecauseofPoe'sdisdainfordidacticwriting,hewaslittleregardedbytheliteraryestablishmentinhisday.

Plot

TheNarratorhadreceivedaletterfromaboyhoodacquaintance,RoderickUsher,beggingthathecometohim"posthaste."Usherhadwrittentoexplainthathewassufferingfromaterriblementalandbodilyillness,andlongedforthecompanionshipof"hisonlypersonalfriend."ThepleaseemedsoheartfeltthattheNarratorimmediatelysetoutfortheUsherancestralhome.

Approachingtheivy-covered,decayingoldhouse,theNarratorwasstruckbyanoverwhelmingsenseofgloomwhichseemedtoenveloptheestate.Theverysightofthemanorcausedwithinhim"anillness,asickeningoftheheart,anunredeemeddreariness."Buteventhoughthe"eye-like"windowsofthemansionseemedtobestaringathim,hemanagedtoswallowhisfearandcontinueinhiscarriageupthepathtothedoor.Asherode,hetriedtorecallRoderickUsherashehadonceknownhim;yearshadpassedsincetheyhadlastmet.Herememberedhisoldfriendasanextremelyreservedfellow,quitehandsomebutpossessinganeerie,morbiddemeanor.Roderick'sfamilywasnotedforitsparticularmusicalgenius-andforthefactthatnonewbranchofthefamilyhadeverbeengenerated.Forcenturies,thetitleoftheestatehadpasseddirectlyfromfathertoson,sothattheterm"HouseofUsher"hadcometoreferbothtothefamilyandtothemansion.Sadly,though,RoderickwasthelastsurvivingmaleissueoftheUsherclan.

Finally,thecarriagecrossedoverthecreakingmoatbridgetothedoor,andaservantadmittedtheNarrator.HewasledthroughintricatepassagewaysandpasthungarmoredtrophiestoRoderickUsher'sinnerchamber,asorrowfulroomwheresunlighthadneverentered.

Usherhimselflookedequallyshutin,almostterrifying:

pallidskinlikethatofacorpse,lustrouseyes,andlonghairthatseemedtofloatabouthishead.Moreover,hewasplaguedbyakindofsullen,intense,nervousagitation,similartothatofadrug-addictexperiencingwithdrawal.Thelistofhiscomplaintswasdismaying:

Hesufferedmuchfromamorbidacutenessofthesenses;themostinsipidfoodwasaloneendurable;hecouldwearonlygarmentsofacertaintexture;theodorsofallflowerswereoppressive;hiseyesweretorturedevenbyfaintlight;andtherewerebutpeculiarsounds,andthesefromstringedinstruments,whichdidnotinspirehimwithhorror.

ButUsherwasn'taloneinthehousetheNarratorcaughtafleetingglimpseofhisfriend'stwinsister,Madeline,whoboreanastonishingresemblancetoRoderick.Additionally,itbecameevidentthatthebrotherandsistersharedaneerie,almostsupernatural,sympatheticbond.RoderickcouldsensejustwhatMadelinewasfeeling,andsheinturncouldreadhiseverythought.Pathetically,though,belovedMadelinewasgrievouslyill,a"gradualwastingawayoftheperson"thatwasbeyondthepowersofphysicianstocure.OntheverynightoftheNarrator'sarrival,Madelinewasconfinedtobed;heneveragainsawheralive.

ForweekstheNarratortriedtodistracthisdepressedfriend.Theytalked,painted,andreadtogether.Usherhimselfevenplayedtheguitar.Onceheimprovisedawildlyhorribleballadaboutanoblecastleinvadedbydemons-asongwhichfinallyconvincedtheNarratorthatUsherhadgonemad.Duringthistime,thetwoformerschoolmatesdiscussedtheiropinionsonvariousmatters.Onediscussi