THE FALL OF
THE HOUSE OF USHER
-E.A. Poe
"The Fall of the House
of Usher" was one of Edgar Allan Poe's first contributions to Burton's
Gentleman's Magazine, of which he was an associate editor. The story was
printed in 1839, a little over a year after "Ligeia," which Poe
always considered his best tale. Both "Usher" and "Ligeia"
belong squarely in the Gothic tradition, but both feature language of such
lyrical beauty that they have become timeless. It should also be noted that
both involve deceased loved ones, much like the work which ultimately made Poe
a literary star, "The Raven." Having inspired two inarguably great
1928 film adaptations--one by James Sibley Watson and Melville Webber, the
other by French surrealist Jean Epstein--and a host of other movies, comic
books, and ripoffs, "The Fall of the House of Usher," with its
stark yet mysterious chronicling of mental collapse, its startling imagery, and
its horrific finale, is today probably Poe's best known and most cherished story.
Poe remains generally
popular, if not lauded in academia, for both his short stories and his poetry.
Both are featured in “The Fall of the House of Usher,” his most famous
short story (the poem is buried inside it). “Usher” was first published in 1839
in Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine and is pretty much typical
Poe material: it tells the story of a sick brother and sister who… well, let’s
not give the ending away. Just be forewarned: there will be blood.
“Usher” has been read and re-read by critic after critic, and there are several interesting “theories” to explain the major action of the tale. Most have approached the tale from a psychological viewpoint, which will make more sense to you after you read the text and check out our “Character Analyses.” There’s also been some criticism regarding the story’s typical Poe-ness; some feel that it is too formulaic and relies on stock Poe characters that can be found in any number of his stories. Decide for yourself.
“Usher” has been read and re-read by critic after critic, and there are several interesting “theories” to explain the major action of the tale. Most have approached the tale from a psychological viewpoint, which will make more sense to you after you read the text and check out our “Character Analyses.” There’s also been some criticism regarding the story’s typical Poe-ness; some feel that it is too formulaic and relies on stock Poe characters that can be found in any number of his stories. Decide for yourself.
An unnamed narrator arrives
at the House of Usher, a very creepy mansion owned by his boyhood friend
Roderick Usher. Roderick has been sick lately, afflicted by a disease of the
mind, and wrote to his friend, our narrator, asking for help. The narrator
spends some time admiring the awesomely spooky Usher edifice. While doing so,
he explains that Roderick and his sister are the last of the Usher bloodline,
and that the family is famous for its dedication to the arts (music, painting,
literature, etc.). Eventually, the narrator heads inside to see his friend.
Roderick indeed appears to be a sick man. He suffers from an "acuteness of the senses," or hyper-sensitivity to light, sound, taste, and tactile sensations; he feels that he will die of the fear he feels. He attributes part of his illness to the fact that his sister, Madeline, suffers from catalepsy (a sickness involving seizures) and will soon die, and part of it to the belief that his creepy house is sentient (able to perceive things) and has a great power over him. He hasn’t left the mansion in years. The narrator tries to help him get his mind off all this death and gloom by poring over the literature, music, and art that Roderick so loves. It doesn’t seem to help.
As Roderick predicted, Madeline soon dies. At least we think so. All we know is that Roderick tells the narrator she’s dead, and that she appears to be dead when he looks at her. Of course, because of her catalepsy, she might just look like she’s dead, post-seizure. Keep that in mind. At Roderick’s request, the narrator helps him to entomb her body in one of the vaults underneath the mansion. While they do so, the narrator discovers that the two of them were twins and that they shared some sort of supernatural, probably extrasensory, bond.
About a week later, on a dark and stormy night, the narrator and Usher find themselves unable to sleep. They decide to pass away the scary night by reading a book. As the narrator reads the text aloud, all the sounds from the fictional story can be heard resounding from below the mansion. It doesn’t take long for Usher to freak out; he jumps up and declares that they buried Madeline alive and that now she is coming back. Sure enough, the doors blow open and there stands a trembling, bloody Madeline. She throws herself at Usher, who falls to the floor and, after "violent" agony, dies along with his sister. The narrator flees; outside he watches the House of Usher crack in two and sink into the dark, dank pool that lies before it.
Roderick indeed appears to be a sick man. He suffers from an "acuteness of the senses," or hyper-sensitivity to light, sound, taste, and tactile sensations; he feels that he will die of the fear he feels. He attributes part of his illness to the fact that his sister, Madeline, suffers from catalepsy (a sickness involving seizures) and will soon die, and part of it to the belief that his creepy house is sentient (able to perceive things) and has a great power over him. He hasn’t left the mansion in years. The narrator tries to help him get his mind off all this death and gloom by poring over the literature, music, and art that Roderick so loves. It doesn’t seem to help.
As Roderick predicted, Madeline soon dies. At least we think so. All we know is that Roderick tells the narrator she’s dead, and that she appears to be dead when he looks at her. Of course, because of her catalepsy, she might just look like she’s dead, post-seizure. Keep that in mind. At Roderick’s request, the narrator helps him to entomb her body in one of the vaults underneath the mansion. While they do so, the narrator discovers that the two of them were twins and that they shared some sort of supernatural, probably extrasensory, bond.
About a week later, on a dark and stormy night, the narrator and Usher find themselves unable to sleep. They decide to pass away the scary night by reading a book. As the narrator reads the text aloud, all the sounds from the fictional story can be heard resounding from below the mansion. It doesn’t take long for Usher to freak out; he jumps up and declares that they buried Madeline alive and that now she is coming back. Sure enough, the doors blow open and there stands a trembling, bloody Madeline. She throws herself at Usher, who falls to the floor and, after "violent" agony, dies along with his sister. The narrator flees; outside he watches the House of Usher crack in two and sink into the dark, dank pool that lies before it.
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