The Fall of the House of Usher

Summary
 The narrator approaches The House of Usher, an incredibly desolate, aged building, with a
crack in the façade from roof to ground, which gives him an awful feeling. 
 He rides on to the house anyway, because he has been called upon by a very sick old
friend, Roderick Usher, who comes from a family of eccentrics, famous for works of art and
music. 
 The family is also interesting for its pure Usher family line.
 Inside the house, the narrator finds Usher himself awfully changed, both physically and in his
mood, which alternates rapidly between liveliness and sullenness. Usher explains his
condition as inherited, and also believes that it is connected to the house. 
 His sister, Madeleine, is also very ill and as she walks through the room, the narrator gets a
ghostly feeling.
 The narrator and Usher pass their days painting and reading from Gothic books. (Their
imagination is highly active)
 That very day, Usher tells the narrator that his sister has died and they bring her coffin to a
heavily reinforced vault below the house. The narrator sees that Madeleine was actually
Roderick’s twin and that her disease has left an unsettling blush on her face.
 After his sister’s death, Usher becomes more and more manic, and one night, during an
electrical storm, Usher visits the narrator’s room him in a distracted state. 
 To comfort Usher, the narrator reads from a story, but the actions described within the story
are accompanied by noises from within the house. The narrator at first tries to ignore the
coincidence but the noise gets more and more real and Usher has now faced his chair towards
the door of the room. 
 He starts muttering about the noises and tells the narrator that they have buried Madeleine
alive and she is now standing outside. 
 On cue, Madeleine breaks through the door and falls onto Usher. He dies on the spot and the
narrator flees. 
 As the narrator looks back to the dreadful house, the crack down the façade splits and the
house collapses.
CHARACTER Language analysis Quotation

He was becoming a “scrutinizing

observer” and becoming overtly
panicked, “phantasmagoric,”
“superstitious” and his “strange fancy”
“Consciousness of my rapid superstition”
kept growing in a span of a couple days
“Strange fancy” “A vivid flow of sensations”
highlight the suffering of Rodrick and
“Shadowy fancies”
his sister who were in tramped in this
supernatural house for years now.
Narrator
Shadowy fancies connote mystery,
“What must have been a dream” “Worked up
indistictivenessdenial of happenings,
imagination “After Madeline’s death he felt
convoluted sentences to articulate
“influenced” by Roderick’s “wild, fantastic, yet
feelings of the unnaturalness (story’s
impressive superstitions”
start) Portrays unreliability as a
character. “Influenced”- as if no choice
but to be affected

Roderick They were famous but not excessively
Usher so
There was a practise of incest in the
family “Direct descent” – this shows
Roderick a product of this sin Roderick
Usher was so unhappy being associated
so strongly with the House of Usher
that it had begun to start affecting him
physically, mentally, spiritually.
Anxious over his health “Maintained”
– highlights long, paranormal activity
in this house.
He was secretive, “excessively” so –
suggesting secrets Traditionally
handsome – incest carried no variation
Connotes heavy burden and restraint,
almost personifying the disorder to be a
tangible thing- like the house Always
uncomfortable and troubled- burdened
Very unpredictable his whole disease
Devastating impact of his malady
Pallor- connotes the heavy sheet used
to cover the body in funerals this he’s
being assigned to death Narrator’s
feelings toward his condition
Contrast to the house
Ghostly and thin indicates his dying
state Carries the opium addict
metaphor from the beginning
Strange symptom- overly sensitive,
“Charitable family- munificent but unobtrusive
“Has a family of “direct descent” “Undeviating
transmission of name, genetics, fortune” etc.
“Hypochondriac” “Maintained certain
superstitious impressions in regard to the
dwelling he tenanted” – his home “Reserve was
excessive and habitual” “Arabesque expression”
“Mental disorder oppressed him”
“Excessive nervous agitation “One moment
“excited” the next “sullen” “Terribly altered
countenance” “Ghastly pallor of the skin”
“Morbid condition” “Pitiable condition” “An
eye large, liquid and luminous beyond
comparison” “Wild gossamer texture” that
“floated” “Lost drunkard or the irreclaimable
eater of opium” “Acute sense” “Unnatural
sensations” “Acute bodily illness” “Wildly
importunate nature” “Apparent heart went with
his request “Shed “passionate tears” upon the
news of sisters death. “Overdone cordiality” but
had “perfect sincerity” “Never ventured forth”
“Long sufferance” ”obtained over his
spirit”//“Sickly smile quivered” “Unconscious
of my presence”
 cannot enjoy anything Supernatural
connoted Madness indicated Very
persuasive and agitated Desperate for
some “alleviation of his malady
“Connotes deep love and longing –
pathetic fallacy
Faking his tiredness cause he is
empathetic and grateful for his
friend //  contrast happy to sorrow
atmosphere. Hasn’t left the house.
Venture highlights that any journey is
remarkable, yet none have taken place.
Spirit- affects him to his
soul //Connotes possession,
unnaturalness, supernaturalism in
another world evoking terror

Baffled connotes great confusion- her

complex condition Connotes
helplessness of even educated doctors
are. Progressively emaciating away
Connotes periods of deep
unconsciousness- dead like Her
The disease “long baffled her physicians “They
episode of sleep was expected thus
wore an expression of “perplexity” “She was
hasty on her brother’s part to have
gradually wasting away” “Transient
buried her Have a spiritual connection
calaptical” symptoms “Haste to bury”
– eerie and creepy as they are twins
Siblings shared a “scarcely intelligible nature”
and have psychological connections
Madeline “striking similitude between brother and sister”
They were twins, striking connotes a
Usher “Died at the maturity of her youth” “Mockery
stark similarity of the two Oxymoron –
of a faint blush upon the bosom and the face”
tragic she died so young It’s taunting
“Suspiciously lingering smile on the lip “She
that she still has a youthful glow
will “upbraid my for my haste” -Usher
despite being dead. Suspicious
“Enshrouded” figure of hers “Blood on white
connotes that something wasn’t
robes” “Low moaning cry” fell onto Usher
right Euphemism of the anger and
reaction she would have Death covered
her entirely – visual image Stark
chromatic image – portray struggle
Auditory image – connotes anguish,
pain, betrayal

THEME Language analysis Quotation

Connotes severity and entirety of the diseases affect “Acute bodily illness” “An
Madnes Metaphor he was oppressed  anomalous species of terror had him
s Oxymoron, contrast – gives of unnatural a bounden slave” “Mad hilarity”
feeling Oppressive madness/insanity “Restrained hysteria”
 “Ancient family” “Merge the
original title of the estate” to the
Very old, practised incest Merge highlights the
family” “Both the family and the
Family intermingled existence of the house and the inhabitants of
family mansion” were included in
the house.
the “appellation of the house of
Usher”

He was constricted Connotes that any journey could be

“Oppressed him” “Never ventured
Isolation significant as venture indicates no real purpose but
out”
exploring – yet Roderick doesn’t do this either

Is afraid of life itself- foreshadows

He “must abandon life and reason
The suspicion that his sister was still alive consume and
together, in some struggle with the
troubled him. “Dare” not highlights his reluctance to take
grim phantasm, FEAR “Held “some
Fear the risk, that he was right. – repetition Corpse has a harsh
oppressive secret” “I dared not”
sound due to the ‘r’ sound Victim highlights how he
“Floor a corpse” “Victim to the
never wanted this end and he was suffering. Anticipates
terror he had anticipation”
heightens the climatic end of his death as it was almost
foreshadows.

Completely dissociates and brand himself as different “Cheerfulness of my society”

and not normal. Unhappy being associated so strongly “Peasantry used the appellation to
Identity
with the House of Usher that it had become the morale of include the family and their
his existence mansion”

Visual imagery of the race Connotes how the race is

weak and soon is going to die off Visual imagery of the “Stem of the Usher race “No
weakening race Variation connotes the lack of outside “enduring branch” “Direct line of
Incest families mingling with the family Continues the descent” “Temporary variation”
horizontal and straight family tree Deficiency focuses the “So lain” “It was this
variation being the cause of the illness Continues to focus deficiency” “Family evil”
this practise of incest being the source of his malady

SUPERNATURAL Language Analysis Evidence

“Dull dark soundless

Assonance of ‘foreshadows
DARKNESS day”“Autumn”“Shades of the evening drew
winter/death Winter is coming
on”

Tactile, harsh images

No explanation for the terror
NARRATOR’S “Iciness, a sinking sickening of the heart”
evoked in him Lost any courage
REACTION TO “Forced to conclude” “Unnerved”
or confidence upon seeing the
SURROUNDINGS “Atmosphere peculiar to itself”
house Hints supernatural of the
house
 Suffocated by evil Highlights
how surrounding affects the “Clouds hung oppressively low ”“Vivid
OPPRESSIVE IMAGES
narrator so strongly – as indicated sensations of the force oppressed me”
by “oppressed”

There was a complete

reconstruction of house Mystic
““Remodelled inverted images” “Gary
and swaying, like a ghost; grey is
INVERTED IMAGES sedge” “Ghastly tree-stems” “Vacant and
gloomy Visual rectangular image
eye-like windows”
– ghastly, terrorising Metaphor,
eye to the soul – empty and dead

Gives life to all non-living things;

supernatural Transferred epithet –
“Sentience of all vegetable things” “Bleak
PERSONIFICATION weakness of structure Metaphor
walls ““Vacant eye-like” windows
OF THE  DECAYING highlights desolation Transferred
“Mansion of gloom”
HOUSE epithet – gloom highlights his
“fungi”
desolation How wholly covered
the house is

Creepy, corpse like Insipid –

tasteless , endurable – shows
restrictiveness of his illness on his
body “Certain texture” – tactile
VAMPIRIC NATURE image
OF TWINS Pleasant olfactory image
Oppressed by light – just like
vampires Auditory image evoke
horror – peculiar strange,
unnatural
“Lying at full length” “The most insipid
food was alone endurable” Could wear
“garments of certain texture” “Odours of all
flower were oppressive” “Eyes tortured by
even a faint light” “Peculiar sounds”
“didn’t inspire horror”

MYSTERY – The Implied metaphor – like sludge

“Mystery all insoluble” “Beyond our depth
Unexplainable Hints supernatural

SETTING Language Analysis Evidence

Landscape Assonance ‘d’ creates mystery and evokes dread of
what’s to come “Insufferable” describes it to be
intolerable and “pervaded” highlights how
intrusively the dread spread in himself. “Soul”
heightens the fright in readers, extreme, affects him
straight to his soul. Connote dread and reluctance
“dull , dark, and soundless day”
“Insufferable gloom pervaded my soul”
“Utter depression of the soul”
“Bitter lapse into everyday life”
“Clouds hung oppressively low
”“Singularly dreary tract of land ”“Images
 like a drug addict coming off his high. Suffocated by
the evil Long syntax highlights loneliness and
desolation Appalling and a horrific image Olfactory
image Chromatic image – contrast to the surrounding
light and dark Ironic – imbued with so many
emotions//visual imagery – signifies new chapter –
red portrays death and ha sinister connotations
of the desolate or terrible ”“Rank sedges
”“White trunks of decaying trees
”“Simple landscape features of the
domain”//“Full, setting, and blood-red
moon which now shone vividly”

Transferred epithet, foreshadowing Hyperbolic but

not evokes mystery and supernatural Transferred
“Melancholy House of Usher “Evoked
epithet Repeated again later – emptiness of the
“insufferable gloom ”“Bleak walls
habitants Despondency and depression of the
”“Vacant eye-like” windows “Mansion of
inhabitants – Roderick Neglect and physical
gloom ”“Excessive antiquity
encompassing of the habitants state Very unusual
”“Extraordinary dilapidation ”“Barely
and remarkable decaying Hairlines crack in the
perceptible fissure in a zigzag formation
house – visual image – foreshadows the end of the
”“Gothic archway ”“Carvings on ceilings
story when the house breaks down Highlights the
House ”“Sombre tapestries ”“Ebon blackness of
timeline the story was written – mystery Visual
the floors ”“phantasmagoria trophies
imagery – sinister, creepy Transferred epithet
”“Irrepressible tremor gradually pervaded
Connotes sadness and dullness Chromatic visual
my frame”//“Agitated vapour”
imagery Ghostly, translucent – visual imagery
“enshrouded the house ”“Might walls
Adverbs –  cause of the surroundings
rushing asunder ”“Fissure rapidly
//Encompassed and enshrouded by death – visual
widened ”“Sullenly and silently over the
image
fragments of the House of Usher”
Transferred epithet – walls Visual image – adverb
Adverb used

Brink connotes the moment before the narrator will

“Precipitous brink”
cross the bridge and fall into danger. Vivid imagery
“Black and lurid tarn”“Unruffled lustre”
– oxymoron Stillness evokes terror Paradox that the
“Remodelled inverted images”
reflection is more terrorising than actual thing –
“Gary sedge” “Ghastly tree-stems”
Tarn unnatural world dull gravy chromatic imagery It is
“Vacant and eye-like
lifeless, underscores death and given the eyes has a
windows”“Pestilent”“Mystic vapour, dull,
satanic effect being created. Connote diseased
sluggish, faintly discernible” “leaden
Supernatural and evil surrounds the entire place
-hued”
blood-like

“Windows inaccessible from within

Connotes restrictiveness Claustrophobic, prison like
”“Feeble gleams” of light “Trellised
Usher’s – transferred epithet Imprisoned and oppressive
panes” “General furniture was profuse,
room Asyndeton heightens the uncomfortable furnishing
comfortless, antique, and tattered”
Narrator also affected – misery in the air
“Atmosphere of sorrow” “pervaded all”

“The Haunted Palace” “Easily

AdjectiveAdverbAsyndetonAdverbAdjective + remembered” “Its meaning, I fancied, I
SONG
oxymoron ; harsh but a ‘melody’ perceived” “Vast forms that move
fantastically” “Discordant melody”
 “Some neglected vault, with no
disturbance from the breadth of the
external air”//Painting- “Exceeding depth
Foreshadowing of the coming vault, already
below the surface of the earth” “No
mentioned in the start of the story
source of light “Had a “ghastly and
//Hyperbolic
inappropriate splendour”//“Temporary
Vault Definitive determiner Adjective
entombment” “Torches, half smothered”
//Transient synonym Adjective , darkness Adverb
“Oppressive atmosphere” “Small, damp”
oppressiveAdjective“No means“ paradoxical
“Without means of admission for light”
Adjective Preposition Adjective Adjective
“At great depth” “Beneath his sleeping
apartment” “Worst purpose of donjun-
keeping” “Massive iron door”

How does Edgar Allan Poe institute gothic elements into “The Fall of the
House of Usher”?
Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a story about the peculiar occurrences inside
the House of Roderick Usher. In this story, Edgar Allan Poe presents several themes like that of
madness and the supernatural and makes pervaded use of imageries to incorporate gothic elements
into the plot, making this one of literature’s finest gothic stories.  
In “The Fall of the House of Usher”, the atmosphere and setting is used extensively to convey
Gothicism to the readers. Poe initiates a gothic atmosphere with descriptions of the house. The
narrator says that the Usher mansion had “an atmosphere which had no affinity with the air of
heaven.” The “white trunks of decayed trees,” the “black and lurid tarn,” and the “vacant, eyelike
windows” contribute to the collective atmosphere of despair and anguish. His description is replete
with adjectives like gravy, peculiar, mystic, dull, strange, pestilent and sluggish and even drops
mentions about the furniture –black oaken floor, the dark drapery and the general furniture which are
“profuse, comfortless, antique and tattered”— to intensify the aura of gloom. Poe’s scrupulous choice
of words institutes gothic essence into the story, for dark themes and images are prevalent in gothic
literature.
Edgar Allan Poe also ensures that he establishes strange and mysterious characters to augment
Gothicism in the story. Rodrick Usher is shown to have “peculiar sensibility” due to which he faces
extreme mental disturbance. On the other hand, Madeline has a physical disease that Involves
cataleptic trances that mimic death. Both the diseases were uncommon to doctors, making the readers
discern them as strange and indistinguishable from madness. The characters not only mentally but
also physically exude a sense of Gothicism. The narrator describes Rodrick’s face to be pale as he
mentions his “pallid” lips, “fine molded chin” and cadaverous complexion. Psychological
deterioration of characters is a common component of gothic literature, and the readers witness it in
this story for as their illnesses aggravate, their state of madness exacerbates as well. 
Gothic essence in the story is amplified when the narrator reads to Roderick and the sounds described
in the book are mimicked by the mansion as they are read aloud by the narrator. First, he hears an
echo of the cracking and ripping sound that Sir Launcelot describes, and then to corroborate this he
hears a shriek similar to that of the dragon in the book followed by the a distant, clangourous sound
that corresponded to the clash of the silver shield in the story. This scene introduces the readers to
elements of the house that are even more queer than its appearance, thus heightening Gothicism.
The climax of the story is pivotal in exhibiting Gothicism in the story. Of all the uncanny happenings
in the house, the most inexplicable is the obliteration of the house following the death of the Usher
siblings. The reappearance of Madeline, who was presumed to be dead and somehow managed to
break out of her coffin only to confront Rodrick in a fatal encounter is extremely eerie. To heighten
this effect, their demise is followed by the destruction of the house and hence, it is as though the
house was connected to the souls of the Usher twins, accounting for the resemblance of their
sorrowful spirits in the architecture of the house. This also explains why it is called the “House of
Usher” – its condition runs parallel to the physical and emotional state of Roderick Usher. Moreover,
Poe has used foreshadowing as a literary device as the ambience of death is in direct association to the
fate of the house and the Usher family. This multitude of mystifying instances encapsulates the
quintessential features of a gothic story, where the events that transpire are usually bizarre and
inexplicable.  
By rendering the house with an eerie personality and appearance while also developing strange
characters and occurrences, Edgar Alan Poe institutes almost all the elements that are prevalent in
Gothic fiction, making “The Fall of the House of Usher” a celebrated work in Gothic literature.

Comment on the role of the narrator in “The Fall of the House of Usher”
Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a gothic fiction that revolves around the
peculiar occurrences inside the House of Rodrick Usher. In this story, a narrator delineates his
experiences and his role becomes that of an observer who, with the use of copious images and literary
devices, enhances the aura of dread and doom and conveys his point of view about the house.
In the story, the anonymous narrator’s character is significant in describing the eerie events that
unfold in the house of usher. He uses an array of visual images to describe the house and to associate
it with a feeling of gloom. He states that the day was “dull” and “dark” and uses the word “dreary” for
the landscape to institute a sense of despair and isolation. He metaphorically compares the feeling of
initially sighting the house to the sensation of “the after dream of the reveller upon opium”, to imply
that it felt like coming close to death. The narrator intensifies the eeriness with descriptions of the
mist blanketing the house— “a pestilent and mystic vapour, dull, sluggish, faintly discernible.”.
Through his numerous depictions, the narrator plays a significant role in bringing about gothic
elements and themes of mystery and desolation that pervade in the story.
The narrator’s significance is also hinted by the fact that Roderick Usher contacted him and
considered him his “only personal friend”. Although he initially did not feel close to Roderick, he
goes to stay at his house for a few weeks. Without the narrator, Roderick’s feelings would have never
been expressed and due to utter solitude, his psychological condition would have only worsened.
However, in the narrator’s presence, Roderick enjoyed company in which his emotional state could be
alleviated, as they “painted and read together” and listened to music to hearten their souls. The
narrator even became able to identify the type of music that soothes Usher’s soul.
Another hint at the narrator’s significance is that he is involved in the burial of Madeline’s coffin and
all the eerie events that follow. The narrator assists Rodrick in her entombment, and notices the blush
on her face. It is also when the narrator is reading the Mad Trist of Sir Launcelot Canning can strange
voices echoing the actions from the book be heard by Rodrick and the narrator. Madeline is revealed
to be alive when she enters the room and collapses onto her brother, leading to both of their demise.
The absurd fact that the narrator stays unharmed through all of this suggests that the narrator plays
significantly the role of a witness of the peculiarity of the House of Usher, right before it crumples, as
though disallowing anybody other than the narrator to be a witness of the strange occurrences in the
house.
Although the narrator plays no active part in altering the course of the story, his narration of the
events and descriptions of the house are crucial in establishing the various elements that build the
story and his involvement in the story is what brings it to its final climax.

Extract from “who entereth herein, a conqueror hath bin” to “Bore him to
the floor a corpse and a victim to the terrors he had anticipated.” In what
ways doe Edgar Allan Poe make this an intense moment in the story “The
Fall of the House of Usher”?
Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a remarkable gothic story encapsulating the
peculiar occurrences that transpire inside the house of Roderick Usher. The extract depicts one of the
most intense moments of all in the play, where Poe adroitly deploys imagery, goth city,
foreshadowment and horror to captivate the readers and make the scene an exceptional climax that is
celebrated in gothic literature.
Images are prevalent in the eminently descriptive sentences of the extract, and they not only
persistently augment the essence of horror but are integral in building intensity in the scene. The
rising action in the scene is engendered entirely through the usage of imagery; the detailed auditory
image in “distant, but harsh, protracted and most unusual screaming or grating sound” and “hollow,
metallic and clangourous, yet apparently muffled reverberation” play a crucial role in making the
house mimic the frightening sounds that were described in the book the narrator read aloud. This
instance successfully perturbs the readers and builds their anticipation. Furthermore, synesthetic
imagery appealing to visual and kinaesthetic senses is employed in “lips trembled”, “rigid opening of
the eye” and “rocked from side to side” used to describe Roderick’s expression and movements are
highly indicative of approaching danger, thus triggering a sense of trepidation for the readers.
Poe institutes a pervaded use of foreshadowing as a literary device. The synesthetic images describing
Roderick’s subtle movements coupled with him saying “yes, I hear it, and have heard it” and “I dared
not speak” indicate that he predicted the incoming danger. These auguries are accentuated when he
says “she now stands without the door” and as though he spoke it into being, Madeline appears
inexplicably, and “fell heavily inward upon” Roderick, causing both their demises. Not only does
Roderick himself foresee this, but it was also foreshadowed by the novel where the dragon dies and
the soldier escapes; the dragon being Roderick Usher whereas the soldier is the narrator, who flees the
mansion after these strange occurrences. Moreover, the death of the twins in this scene directly links
to the title of the story, which foreshadows the “fall” of the twins and the Usher bloodline that
transpires in the scene. These instances of foreshadowing persistently keep the readers anticipating the
climax of the play, hence critically augment intensity in the scene.
Emotions and symbolism is also deployed to heighten the potency of the scene. Madeline being
confined in the coffin alive is symbolic of her disease that inhibited her from a normal life. She
struggled to escape the coffin only to collapse in unison with Roderick, implying that her motive was
not to stay alive but to ensure that she dies with Roderick, liberating them both from their illnesses
that made them feel entrapped. This instance delineates the spiritual bond between the Usher twins;
their physical state is perpetually parallel akin to each other’s for they both had acute illnesses and
they both died simultaneously. Their death and the symbolism that represents their relationship
institutes emotional intensity in the scene.
The multitude of peculiar incidents that occur in this scene all exude an acute sense of Gothicism.
Gothic literature is pervaded with events that transcend from the norms of sanity and this scene is a
quintessence of madness. The supernatural elements of the house are rendered when the House of
Usher mimics the unearthly sounds from the novel. Furthermore, Madeline being coffined alive and
the idea of her “feeble movements in the hollow coffin” echoing throughout the house emanates
profound eeriness that amplifies excitement in the scene, and thus Edgar Alan Poe makes this the
most intense moment in the story.

Tone
“The Fall of the House of Usher” tells a terrifying story, and the narrator is up front and center for the
most bizarre parts. But it’s important to note that this tale is told in retrospect, so the deliberate
authorial tone isn’t at all compromised by the frantic mania of a horrified narrator. For example, take
a look at this second-to-last paragraph: “For a moment she remained trembling and reeling to and fro
upon the threshold,—then, with a low moaning cry, fell heavily inward upon the person of her
brother, and in her violent and now final death-agonies, bore him to the floor a corpse, and a victim to
the terrors he had anticipated.” (41) Poe’s story unfolds in a careful and calm manner, keeping its
respectful distance from the more inexpressible details (see “Point of View”) and maintaining
perspective on all the crazy goings-on. In a way, this calm approach to such abnormal events is a bit
horrifying in itself; the author treats the tale the same way you might disclose a trip to the grocery
store.

Genre
Horror or Gothic Fiction
A sentient house, a dead body (or two), an underground tomb, dark and stormy nights…this is a
horror tale. One of the sub-genres of Gothic fiction is “Supernatural Gothic,” in which the weird stuff
that happens really can be attributed to bizarre supernatural happenings (as oppose to the figments of
a crazy person’s imagination). The presence of inexplicable diseases – both of the body and of the
mind, in Usher and his sister, is another great indication that we’re dealing with the horror genre.

What’s Up with the Title?

There are several levels on which we can interpret this title. First is the actual, physical House of
Usher, the mansion the narrator visits and the setting for the story. At the end of the story, the House
of Usher falls, literally, into the tarn or pool of water in front of the house. As we discuss in
“Symbols, Imagery, and Allegory,” the small fissure that the narrator sees upon first arrival
foreshadows this fall. We know there’s something wrong in the House of Usher, and it is indeed at
this fissure that the House ultimately splits in two.
We can move on to the symbolic meaning of the title. The narrator makes a point of telling us that the
term “The House of Usher” refers no only to the estate, but to the family as well, the Usher bloodline.
The title refers not just to the literal fall of the physical house, but the metaphorical fall of the Usher
family. The narrator revealed that Roderick and his sister were the last two alive in the family, so
when they die, so dies the whole family.
This decline, too, is foreshadowed in the text. Usher prophecies his own death to the narrator in
exactly the manner it takes place: he believes he will die from fear. It’s worth noting that Roderick’s
death is yet another literal fall – he and Madeline collapse to the ground together.
It’s probably no coincidence that Roderick literally falls, the bloodline falls in the death of the twins,
and the house collapses all at the same time at the story’s conclusion. This contributes to the story’s
fantastical nature. The pieces fit together just a little too neatly; symbols are tied to action a bit too
strongly, reminding us that we’re not in a realistic world here. Also remember Roderick’s insistence
that the house is sentient – there’s a stronger tie between the Usher family and the Usher mansion than
we might expect. You could think of the house as a third member of the Usher family: Roderick,
Madeline, and the House. Or you could think of Roderick, Madeline, and the house as all being part
of the same person (see “Character Analysis” where we discuss the theory that Roderick and
Madeline share one soul).

Setting
Haunted Mansion, Several Dark and Stormy Nights
(To be fair, this was probably less of a cliché when Poe wrote “Usher.”) Notice that we don’t know
the geographical location nor a specific year when these events go down. The fact is, the mood and
atmosphere in the setting is far more important than the facts of time and place. And it certainly is a
powerful atmosphere that Poe creates. The outside of the mansion is the first of many spooky settings
Poe renders in his tale. You’ve got an ethereal glowing cloud and a dark and scary lake, not to
mention the ominous fissure running down the center of the mansion. He creates a different but
equally scary setting inside the mansion, where the corridors, though filled with seemingly ordinary
objects, seem to scream “YOU ARE IN A HORROR STORY.” The dank underground tomb is yet
another of the masterfully-crafted mini-settings in “Usher,” one we actually recognize from the
Roderick’s painting earlier in the text (make sure you check out “Symbols, Imagery, Allegory” for
some juicy, painting-related thoughts).

The house itself is carefully crafted to heighten the mood and atmosphere of the story, like the creepy
tapestries and furnishings inside. The fact that Usher hasn’t left the house in ages lends the tale a
sense of claustrophobia. In fact, the narrator himself doesn’t leave until the story’s end – which makes
us, the reader, feel just as trapped as Roderick. The house’s sentience is also a big deal – the physical
setting of the story is as supernatural as its action and themes. Then there’s the fall of the house itself,
which we discuss in “What’s Up With the Title?”

What’s Up with the Epigraph?

Son coeur est un luth suspendu;
Sitot qu'on le touche il resonne.
– De Beranger

Translation:
"His/her heart is a poised lute;
as soon as it is touched, it resounds".

These lines are a quote from Le Refus, a song by French songwriter Pierre-Jean de Béranger, a
(roughly speaking) contemporary of Poe’s. Beranger’s lyrics actually read "Mon cœur" (my heart),
but Poe changed them to read "Son cœur" (his/her heart).

The first question to ask is, who wrote this epigraph? Typically, an epigraph is the author’s
opportunity to give a hint to his reader as to how to interpret the work. But as we’ve seen in this text
(check out Symbols, Imagery, and Allegory), the real and the fictional are often intertwined. One
possibility, then, is that the epigraph is the work of the narrator.

If this is the case, we then have to ask to whom the lyrics refer. “Son” is the possessive article in
French, and it could mean “his” or “her” depending on the subject. In this case, our subject is gender-
ambiguous. Is the narrator referring to Roderick? Or to Madeline? If you believe the argument (as
discussed in “Character Analysis”) that the twins share some sort of other-worldly connection, or that
they are two halves of the same person, then the gender-ambiguity is appropriate, as the epigraph can
refer to both Madeline and Roderick together.

Another interesting, if slightly harder-to-swallow interpretation is that Usher wrote the epigraph –
because Usher wrote the story. What are we given throughout the entire story except example after
example of Roderick’s eerie artistic creations? Together, he and the narrator listen to music, read
books, and pore over artwork. Accordingly, we see one of Usher’s songs, and one of his paintings, but
we don’t see a piece of his writing. Unless, that is, “The House of Usher” is that very fictional work
we’re missing.

Anyway, what does the epigraph actually mean? These lines describe a heart so alone that it is poised
and ready for touch, and so sensitive that it will resound the moment it is. Recall the story’s theme of
isolation as well as Roderick’s “acuteness of the senses” and try running with that.

Reality and Art

You might have noticed a strange mingling of the fictional with the real in this story. Roderick’s
artistic creations have a definite connection with what happens to the House of Usher. He paints an
underground tomb; Madeline is entombed underground. He sings about the decline of a house; the
House of Usher declines. He screams that the dead Madeline is standing at the door – and so she is at
the door. In fact, way back the beginning of the story Roderick declares that will die from fear, which
in fact comes true at the end of the tale.
One possibility is that Roderick, with his magic, lustrous eye, can foresee the future. He knows these
events will transpire and so he prophecies them aloud. Another possibility is that Roderick actually
causes these things to happen, so that he is consumed by fear he manifests his fear in reality, along
with the help of some magic pixie dust from his haunted mansion.

Doubling
We’ve seen that art mirrors reality in this story, but there are several other cases of “doubling” or
“reflection” going on. Starting off the story is the inverted reflection of the House of Usher in the tarn
that lies before the house. You’ve also got the inverted dichotomy between Madeline and Usher,
twins, but male/female, mental/physical (see “Character Analysis”), alive/dead. Dichotomy means a
division between two opposing things.

The Small Fissure

The narrator observes a crack in the mansion upon his arrival to the Usher estate. Since he’s just
mentioned that “The House of Usher” refers both to the family and the building, we should have an
eye out for symbolic connections between the two. And indeed, we can see this small fissure as
representative of a disruption in the unity of the family, more specifically, between Madeline and her
brother. This is the disruption that ultimately tears the family – and the mansion – to pieces.

In The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe we have the theme of conflict, isolation, fear,
control, powerlessness and friendship. Narrated in the first person by an unnamed male narrator the
reader realises after reading the story that Poe may be exploring the theme of conflict. Roderick is in
conflict with himself. Which may help to explain the ‘madness’ that the narrator feels Roderick is
succumbing to. He knows that he is the last remaining male in the House of Usher and that Madeline
through her illness may never marry. While he himself, due to his mental fragility, also realises that
on his death the House of Usher will fall. If anything things for Roderick and Madeline are as bleak as
the setting of the story. Madeline too is in conflict though not necessarily with herself. She isolates
herself from the world which may leave some readers to suggest that Madeline’s sense of conflict is
external. She finds it difficult to live in her environment. Which may or may not be controlled by
Roderick. It is noticeable that Madeleine does not have any type of freedom nor does she engage with
others like the narrator.
It is also interesting that Roderick asks the narrator to help him to overcome his ‘madness’ however it
is the same ‘madness’ that kills Roderick. It is as though Roderick is left powerless by his ‘madness.’
Just as he is trying to control Madeline he is unable to control his own mind. Which may suggest that
Poe is introducing irony into the story. There is also a sense that the narrator too is powerless to help
Roderick. He does after all try however he ultimately fails possibly due to the fact that he does not
understand the magnitude of the job at hand. For Roderick to get better he not only needs to change
his environment but his mind set too. Something that he refuses to do. It is as through Roderick knows
that he must fall like the House of Usher must fall. If anything Roderick is paralysed by his
environment and unable to let things progress as they must. The narrator’s friendship with Roderick
can’t be underestimated either. Though he has long lost contact with Roderick. When asked he
immediately comes to help Roderick. Even if he does not fully understand the complexity of what is
happening.
There may also be some symbolism in the story which might be important. In many ways the fall of
the house mirrors Roderick and Madeline’s fall. Just as the house falls so too does the House of
Usher. The narrator’s dark description of the House of Usher may also be important as Poe may be
using the description of the house as foreshadowing to the darkness that occurs later on in the story
with Madeline being entombed yet she is still alive. It might also be worth noting that some critics
have suggested that Madeline’s smile (or smirk) while she is being entombed by Roderick and the
narrator is a sign that Madeline is still alive and that it is her intention to get revenge on Roderick by
killing him for the life she feels she may have been forced to live. If anything there appears to be no
love lost between Madeleine and Roderick. Though Madeleine only makes brief appearances. She
does not engage with anyone not even Roderick. In reality both siblings may not be as close to one
another as a reader would expect a sibling to be and the reality may be that Madeline simply does not
like Roderick.
The end of the story is also interesting as it becomes clear to the reader that the narrator is
overwhelmed by fear. Hence his sudden desire to leave the house when he sees Madeline. It is as
though the narrator cannot understand how Madeline can be alive. It is also interesting that the
narrator does not intervene when Madeline attacks Roderick as this would further suggest to the
reader just how afraid the narrator actually is. It is also clear to the reader that Roderick was aware
that he entombed Madeline when she was still alive. Something that he admits to the narrator as the
narrator is reading the story. If anything the story the narrator is reading mirrors what occurs for
Roderick. Something that the narrator is only too aware of. However he feels as though he is
powerless to do anything to help Roderick. Roderick is to die as too is Madeleine while the narrator
flees from the house. Possibly relieved that he has escaped with his life. Throughout the story the
narrator has tried to help Roderick but in the end Roderick’s ‘madness’ has been too overpowering. In
reality the narrator can count himself lucky that he did escape with his life after his brief encounter
with Roderick and Madeline.
In “The Fall of the House of Usher” Poe explores such topics as incest, terminal illness, mental
breakdown, and death. As is typical of the gothic genre, the story is set in a dark, medieval castle, and
uses a first-person narrator to introduce a sense of dread and terror in the reader. Visual and aural
imagery are key elements in “The Fall of the House of Usher” and give the reader a noteworthy
experience. Gothic imagery is the exceptional key in the story and helps set the tone for the entire tale.
In this short story, a man will visit a childhood friend who is suffering from a strange illness. Strange
events will occur under his host’s mansion. In this narrative, Poe uses conventions of gothic literature
to push the story’s protagonists into a state of constant distress of the mind and eventually drive them
into madness. Gothic conventions such as the gothic setting, death and the supernatural will slowly
bring fear upon his characters.
The author uses the gothic setting to create a frightful gloomy mood and atmosphere that inspires
fright to the narrator. At his first arrival at the Usher domain, the narrator describes his feelings of the
house saying “with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded [his]
spirit.” (263) The house looks dreary, the innumerous use of symbolism throughout the tale has led
others to suggest that “Usher” addresses the nature and causes of evil.
The descriptions of the Usher family home and of Roderick and Madeline create an atmosphere of
evil and dread that pervades the narrative from the very beginning. The house itself is referred to as a
“mansion of gloom” that seems to cast its shadow over its occupants, both Roderick and Madeline
have a ghostly pallor, arousing feelings of unease in the narrator. Many renderings of the story have
explicated the evil behind the curse Roderick speaks of as the outcome of a long history of incest and
inbreeding in the Usher family. According to this interpretation, the brother and sister are suffering
the physical and emotional consequences of the guilt linked with such commonly condemned
behavior. Yet others see the evil and sense of foretelling in the story as something of a purely
supernatural nature; this interpretation characterizes Roderick’s behavior as a natural response to the
transcendental forces that are haunting his home. Roderick speaks several times about the mysterious
illnesses from which he and his sister suffer. His progressively unstable mental condition and ultimate
emotional breakdown at the end of the story have led many to view “The Fall of the House of Usher”
as an exploration of the themes of madness and insanity. Madeline’s illness, a condition that causes
extreme muscle rigidity and periods of unconsciousness, is quite possibly misunderstood or even
purposely interpreted as death by her mentally unstable brother, whose irrationality steers the story.