Introduction.docx

1、IntroductionIntroductionThe Fall of the House of Usher, written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1839, is regarded as an early and supreme example of the Gothic horror story, though Poe ascribed the term arabesque to this and other similar works, a term that he felt best described its flowery, ornate prose. Fe

2、aturing supernatural theatrics, which critics have interpreted a number of ways, the story exhibits Poes concept of art for arts sake, the idea that a story should be devoid of social, political, or moral teaching.In place of a moral, Poe creates a moodterror, in this case through his use of languag

3、e. This philosophy of art for arts sake later evolved into the literary movement of Aestheticism which eschewed the symbolic and preachy literature of the dayespecially in Englandin an attempt to overcome strict Victorian conventions. Because of his emphasis on style and language, Poe proclaimed his

4、 writing a reaction to typical literature of the day, which he called the heresy of the Didactic for its tendency to preach, Condemned by some critics for its tendencies toward Romanticism, a literary movement marked by melodramatic and maudlin exaggerations, The Fall of the House of Usher was never

5、theless typical of Poes short stories in that it presents a narrator thrust into a psychologically intense situation in which otherworldly forces conspire to drive at least one of the characters insane。OverviewThe Fall of the House of Usher is one of Poes most popular short stories.Moreover, analyzi

6、ng this story provides a basis for understandin g Poes gothicism and his literary theories. As in all of Poes short stories, The Fall of the House of Usher concentrates on a single effectin this case, the degeneration and decay of the Usher house and family. In the storys opening, for example, the n

7、arrator comments upon the insufferable gloom that pervades his being as he notices the few rank sedges, the white trunks of decayed trees, the unruffled luster of the black and lurid tarn, and the houses vacant eye-like windows.AutherCharactersNarratorThe unnamed narrator of the story is described a

8、s a childhood friend of Rodenck Ushers. However, the narrator notes that he does not know Roderick very well because Rodericks reserve had always been excessive and habitual. The narrator visits the Usher family house after Roderick sends him an emotional letter begging him to come. While he seems s

9、keptical of the supernatural and tries to find rational explanations for the disconcerting things happening around him, the narrator finds himself growing increasingly disturbed by the house and the Ushers. At the end of the story, when both Roderick and Madeline die, he flees and watches the house

10、crumble and fall into a small lake. The narrator has been described as an objective witness to the events in the story, with some suggesting he represents rationality.SettingWith the exception of The Gold Bug and Murders in the Rue Morgue, Poes settings are usually remote in time and space, enhancin

11、g the storys mystery and other-worldliness. The Fall of the House of Usher has no definite setting except for the singularly dreary tract of country through which the narrator must travel to reach the House of Usher.Suits of armor and subterranean dungeons tend to suggest a European rather than an A

12、merican locale, but these details were established trappings of the.Literary QualitiesPoes literary skill is readily apparent in The Fall of the House of Usher, and one of his most vivid techniques is the storys tone. Poe chooses details that highlight the terror of near madness, premature burial, a

13、nd death and destruction. Foremost is his description of the gloomy Usher house, and the fissure that seems to extend from the houses roof to the sullen waters of the tarn.Equally important in setting the tone is the violent storm on a night that is singular in its terror and beauty. The thunder cra

14、shes, the lightning bolts flash, and the wind howls as Madeline makes her way from the tomb to the door of Rodericks study. Rodericks and Madelines deaths are further heightened as the narrator notes that the blood-red moon . . . now shone vividly.ThemesThese topics concern the general works of Edga

15、r Allan Poe.Sanity and InsanityPoe uses the theme of insanity vs. insanity, and all the nuances in between, in many of his short stories, often charging his insane narrators with the futile task of proving that they are not mad. Often, in stories such as The Tell-Tale Heart and The Imp of the Perver

16、se, though the respective narrators of each claim they are of sound mind and seem completely unremorseful, they are driven to confess by a persistent reminder of their crime. In other tales, such as The Cask of Amontillado, the narrator is unquestionably insane, and yet there is no remorse and no co

17、nfession, and though his actions are insane, he is very levelheaded when it comes to their execution.StylePoint of ViewTold from the point of view of an unnamed first-person narrator, this story does not use the unreliable narrator technique to expose unbelievable or horrific events. Instead, the na

18、rrator is more of an observer at first, bringing the reader along as he encounters the gloom and desperation of both the House of Usher and its inhabitants. As he stays in the house, he is drawn deeper into the spell of the house and his nervousness increases, as does the readers.SettingSet in the d

19、reary, woeful House of Usher, much of this storys tone and feeling of claustrophobic nervousness comes from its settings. The action takes place solely in the house in which the Ushers have sustained their illnesses of body and mind, and these close quarters seem to affect all who come in.Historical

20、 ContextThe Fall of the House of Usher was first published in 1839 in Burtons Gentlemans Magazine. At a time when most popular literature was highly moralistic, Poes stories were concerned only with creating emotional effects. Poe charged that most of his contemporaries were didactic, that is, they

21、were preoccupied with making religious or political statements in their writings to the detriment of the fiction itself. His own tales of terror, in which he often depicted the psychological disintegration of unstable or emotionally overwrought characters, were in sharp contrast to the works of more

22、 highly praised writers of the time. Because of Poes disdain for didactic writing, he was little regarded by the literary establishment in his day.PlotThe Narrator had received a letter from a boyhood acquaintance, Roderick Usher, begging that he come to him posthaste. Usher had written to explain t

23、hat he was suffering from a terrible mental and bodily illness, and longed for the companionship of his only personal friend. The plea seemed so heartfelt that the Narrator immediately set out for the Usher ancestral home.Approaching the ivy-covered, decaying old house, the Narrator was struck b y a

24、n overwhelming sense of gloom which seemed to envelop the estate. The very sight of the manor caused within him an illness, a sickening of the heart, an unredeemed dreariness. But even though theeye-like windows of the mansion seemed to be staring at him, he managed to swallow his fear and continue

25、in his carriage up the path to the door. As he rode, he tried to recall Roderick Usher as he had once known him; years had passed since they had last met. He remembered his old friend as an extremely reserved fellow, quite handsome but possessing an eerie, morbid demeanor. Rodericks family was noted

26、 for its particular musical genius - and for the fact that no new branch of the family had ever been generated. For centuries, the title of the estate had passed directly from father to son, so that the term House of Usher had come to refer both to the family and to the mansion. Sadly, though, Roder

27、ick was the last surviving male issue of the Usher clan.Finally, the carriage crossed over the creaking moat bridge to the door, and a servant admitted the Narrator. He was led through intricate passageways and past hung armored trophies to Roderick Ushers inner chamber, a sorrowful room where sunli

28、ght had never entered.Usher himself looked equally shut in, almost terrifying: pallid skin like that of a corpse, lustrous eyes, and long hair that seemed to float about his head. Moreover, he was plagued by a kind of sullen, intense, nervous agitation, similar to that of a drug-addict experiencing

29、withdrawal. The list of his complaints was dismaying:He suffered much from a morbid acuteness of the senses; the most insipid food was alone endurable; he could wear only garments of a certain texture; the odors of all flowers were oppressive; his eyes were tortured even by faint light; and there we

30、re but peculiar sounds, and these from stringed instruments, which did not inspire him with horror.But Usher wasnt alone in the house the Narrator caught a fleeting glimpse of his friends twin sister, Madeline, who bore an astonishing resemblance to Roderick. Additionally, it became evident that the

31、 brother and sister shared an eerie, almost supernatural, sympathetic bond. Roderick could sense just what Madeline was feeling, and she in turn could read his every thought. Pathetically, though, beloved Madeline was grievously ill, a gradual wasting away of the person that was beyond the powers of

32、 physicians to cure. On the very night of the Narrators arrival, Madeline was confined to bed; he never again saw her alive.For weeks the Narrator tried to distract his depressed friend. They talked, painted, and read together. Usher himself even played the guitar. Once he improvised a wildly horrible ballad about a noble castle invaded by demons - a song which finally convinced the Narrator that Usher had gone mad. During this time, the two former schoolmates discussed their opinions on various matters. One discussi