Setting.docx

Setting.docx

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Setting

Setting 

Thestorybeginsonone"...dull,dark,andsoundlessdayintheautumnoftheyear...."Fromtheverybeginning,thereader,asaresultofPoe'simagery,isawareofasenseofdeathanddecay.Eventhenarrator,Roderick'schildhoodcompanion,describes"asenseofinsufferablegloom[which]pervaded[his]spirit"asheapproachedtheHouseofUsher.Theterm"HouseofUsher"refersnotonlytothecrumblingmansionbutalsototheremainingfamilymemberswholivewithin.（SeeStyleandInterpretation）

Characters 

Therearethreesignificantcharactersinthistale:

thenarrator,RoderickandMadelineUsher.ThenarratorisaboyhoodfriendofRoderickUsher.HehasnotseenRodericksincetheywerechildren;however,becauseofanurgentletterthathereceivedfromRoderickwhichrequestedhisaid,thenamelessnarratordecidestomakethelongjourney.（"...[I]twastheapparentheartthatwentwithhisrequest--whichallowedmenoroomforhesitation...."）

RoderickandMadelineUsherarethesole,remainingmembersofthelong,time-honoredUsherrace.WhenMadelinesupposedly"dies"andisplacedinhercoffin,thenarratornotices"astrikingsimilitudebetweenbrotherandsister...."ItisatthispointthatRoderickinformshisfriendthatheandtheLadyMadelinehadbeentwins,andthat"sympathiesofascarcelyintelligiblenaturehadalwaysexistedbetweenthem."Duetolimitedmedicalknowledgeortosuithispurposeshere,PoetreatsMadelineandRoderickasiftheywereidenticaltwins（twopartsofonepersonality）insteadoffraternaltwins.HeimpliesthatRoderickandMadelinearesoclosethattheycansensewhatishappeningtoeachother.Thisbecomesanimportantaspectintheunityofeffectofthisparticularstory.

PointofView 

UnlikemanyofPoe'sstories,thisparticularstorydoesnotusethetypical,firstpersonpointofviewwheretheprotagonisttellsapersonalaccountofacrimethatheorshehascommitted.Instead,thenarratorisacharacterofwhomweknowverylittle,whoactslikeaparticipant/observer.Itiseasyforthereadertobecome"thefriend"inPoe'sstoryasboththenarratorandthereaderinvite"madness"astheyaredrawnintotheunderworldofthemindwherefantasybecomesreality.Twiceneartheendofthestory,Roderickcallsthenarrator"Madman!

"However,thenarratorescapes,towatchboththetenantsandthehouseofUsherdisappearintothetarn,anunderworldwhichistheirtruehome.

StyleandInterpretation 

"TheFalloftheHouseofUsher"illustratesPoe'scriticaldoctrinethatunityofeffectdependsonunityoftone.Everydetailofthisstory,fromtheopeningdescriptionofthedanktarnandthedarkroomsofthehousetotheunearthlystormwhichaccompaniesMadeline'sreturnfromthetomb,helpstoconveytheterrorthatoverwhelmsandfinallydestroysthefragilemindofRoderickUsher.

Terror,eventhisextremewhichresultsinmadnessanddeath,ismeaninglessunlessitisabletosomehowillustrateaprincipleofhumannature.OneapproachtounderstandingthetruesignificanceofthisstoryliesinthemanyconnectionsthatPoeestablishesforthereader.RoderickandMadelinearenotjustbrotherandsisterbuttwinswhoshare"sympathiesofascarcelyintelligiblenature"whichconnecthismentaldisintegrationtoherphysicaldecline.AsMadeline'smysteriousillnessapproachesphysicalparalysis,Roderick'smentalagitationtakestheformofa"morbidacutenessofthesenses"thatseparateshisbodyfromthephysicalworldmakingallnormalsensationspainful:

"...themostinsipidfoodwasaloneendurable;hecouldwearonlygarmentsofcertaintexture;theodorsofallflowerswereoppressive;hiseyesweretorturedbyevenafaintlight;andtherewerebutpeculiarsounds,andthesewerefromstringedinstruments,whichdidnotinspirehimwithhorror."

BesidesthefactthatRoderickandMadelinearenotjusttwinsbutrepresentthementalandphysicalcomponentsofasinglebeingorsoul,thereisalsoaconnectionbetweenthefamilymansionandtheremainingmemberswholivewithin.Poeusesthephrase"HouseofUsher"torefertoboththedecayingphysicalstructureandthelastofthe"alltime-honoredUsherrace...."Roderickhasdevelopedatheorythatthestonesofthehousehaveconsciousness,andthattheyembodythefateoftheUsherfamily."Hewasenchainedbycertainsuperstitiousimpressionsinregardtothedwellingwhichhetenanted,andwhenceformanyyears,hehadneverventuredforth...."Roderickalsomakesanotherconnectionbetweenahouseandapersoninthepoem,"TheHauntedPalace."ThecrackintheUshermansionwhichisatfirstbarelydiscerniblebythenarrator,symbolicallysuggestsaflaworfundamentalsplitinthetwinpersonalityofRoderickandMadeline,andfortellsthefinalruinofbothfamilyandmansion.

ThenarratorisconnectedtotheUsherfamilysinceheandRoderickwereoncecloseboyhoodcompanions.Theyhavenotseeneachotherformanyyears,anditisonlybecauseoftheirpastclosenessandtheapparentemotioninRoderick'srequestthatconvincesthenarratortomakethejourney.Asaresultofthis,thenarratorspendstheopeningparagraphsreflectinguponthepastaswellastryingtopreparehimselffortheimminentreunion;however,nothingprepareshimforthe"altered"stateofhischildhoodcompanion:

"...acaderousnessofcomplexion;aneyelarge,liquid,andluminousbeyondcomparison;lipssomewhatthinandverypallid,butofasurpassinglybeautifulcurve;anoseofadelicateHebrewmodel,butwithabreadthofnostrilunusualinsimilarformations;afinelymoldedchin,speakinginitswantofofprominence,ofawantofmoralenergy;hairofamorethanweb-likesoftnessandtenuity;thesefeatures,withaninordinateexpansionabovetheregionsofthetemple,madeupaltogetheracountenancenoteasilytobeforgotten."（SomeofPoe'scriticsliketosaythatPoeisdescribinghimselfhere.）

ThenarratortriestocomfortandrescueRoderickfromanillnessinwhichtheexteriorselfhasbeenlosttotheinteriorworldoftheimagination.TheisolationofRoderick'slifefromouterrealitycanbeseenintheatmospheresurroundingthemansionwhichseemstoarisefromthedecayedtreesanddanktarn.Roderick'sfantasyworldislikethatofanartist:

hismusic;hisliteraturewhichdealswithextremesofthehumanimagination;andhisartthatportraysavaultwhichisilluminatedfromnovisiblesourcebutis"...bathed...inaghastly...splendor."Roderick,unlikeanartist,haslostcontrolofhisfantasyworldsothatithasbecomeallofreality.

In"TheFalloftheHouseofUsher,"Poeexplorestheinnerworkingsofthehumanimaginationbut,atthesametime,cautionsthereaderaboutthedestructivedangerswithin.Whenfantasysuppressesrealityandthephysicalself,asinRoderick'scase,whatresultsismadnessandmentaldeath.Madeline'sreturnandactualdeathreunitesthetwinnaturesoftheirsinglebeing,claimingRoderickasa"victimtotheterrorsthathehadanticipated."

Thetruefocusofthisstoryisthenarrator'sreactiontoandunderstandingofthesestrangeevents.Eventolookintothedarkimaginationwherefantasybecomesrealityistoevokemadness.ThatiswhyRodericktwicereferstothenarratoras"Madman"inthefinalscene.Thenarratorhasmadeajourneyintotheunderworldofthemindandisnearlydestroyedbyit;however,hemanagestoescapeandturnstowatchasthe"HouseofUsher"crumblesinto"...thedeepanddanktarn."

Theme 

AccordingtoEdwardH.DavidsoninhisbookPoe:

ACriticalStudy,"TheFalloftheHouseofUsher"canbeinterpretedas"adetailedaccountofthederangementanddissipationofanindividual'spersonality."Thehouseitselfbecomesthe"symbolicembodimentofthisindividual."Thefissureorthecrackinthedecayingmansion,thatisnotedbythenarratornearthebeginningofthestory,represents"anirreconcilablefractureintheindividual'spersonality."Roderickrepresentsthemindortheintellect,whiletheportionofpersonalitythatwerefertoasthesenses（hearing,seeing,touching,tastingandsmelling）isrepresentedbyMadeline.Duringthecourseofthestory,theintellect（Roderick）triestodetachitselffromitsmorephysicallyorientedtwin（Madeline）.ThiscanbeseeninRoderick'saversiontohisownsensesaswellasbyhisprematureentombmentofhistwinsister.LivingwithoutMadeline（thatiswithoutthesenses）,Roderick'sconditiondeteriorates.Hebeginstosufferfroman"...intolerableagitationofthesoul."Attheendofthestory,MadelinereturnsfromherprematuretombtoclaimthemaddenedRoderick,"avictimtotheterrorshehadanticipated."Asthetwoarereunitedindeath（themindcanneitherlivenordiewithoutitsphysicalcounterpart,thesenses）,thehouse（asymbolofanowderangedindividual）crumblesintothe"deepanddanktarn,"asthenarratorfleesinterrorforhisownsanity.

Analysis

“TheFalloftheHouseofUsher”possessesthequintessential-featuresoftheGothictale:

ahauntedhouse,drearylandscape,mysterioussickness,anddoubledpersonality.ForallitseasilyidentifiableGothicelements,however,partoftheterrorofthisstoryisitsvagueness.Wecannotsayforsurewhereintheworldorexactlywhenthestorytakesplace.Insteadofstandardnarrativemarkersofplaceandtime,PoeusestraditionalGothicelementssuchasinclementweatherandabarrenlandscape.Wearealonewiththenarratorinthishauntedspace,andneitherwenorthe-narratorknowwhy.AlthoughheisRoderick’smostintimateboyhoodfriend,thenarratorapparentlydoesnotknowmuchabouthim—likethebasicfactthatRoderickhasatwinsister.Poeasksustoquestion