The Fall of the House of Usher1
Regarded as his "most famous piece of fiction," "The Fall of the House of Usher" inspires the usual horror found in most works by Poe. Every aspect expected from a Poe piece is found within this story. There is the first person narrative, the division of personality, and Gothic style; which all characterize classic Poe. Although some critics feel that the tale is "difficult to read" and "an overdone and vulgar fantasy;" most recognize it as the masterpiece it is. From the gloomy beginning to the shocking conclusion, "The Fall of the House of Usher" implements every attribute needed to create a model narration. As in most Poe stories, the unnamed narrator experiences a horrific sight. This harrowing incident is the realization by himself and Roderick Usher that they have in fact buried Madeline Usher alive. The thought of this atrocity causes the narrator to flee from the house indefinitely. He does not know at the time that the house will subsequently cave in after his departure. Almost every
Therefore, all first person narrators in Poe's work encounter death in some mysterious and grave manner that helps Poe to cope with his personal issues. Also, it seems that perhaps he did not intend for more than one story to be dealt with at a time. Although most stories employ no real plot or characterization, the final terrible experience is typical. While Madeline seems to have accepted her fate, it looks as if Roderick does not quite understand his recent transformation. It is almost as if all the worry and frustration felt by both is channeled through Roderick. Her untimely death stirred an interest in the supernatural that pervaded his writing from that point on. It is "too serious" and conveys a certain difficulty in reading. " In the tale being discussed, Roderick and Madeline Usher are twins whose health is slowly diminishing. " The elevated language and carefully chosen adjectives weigh on the reader throughout the story. "The Fall of the House of Usher" certainly incorporates such language as evidenced by phrases such as "singularly dreary tract" and "whither shall I fly. They claim that this particular style hinders the reader from being able to handle more than one story at a time. tale written by Poe is written in this fashion. This is due to occurrences in Poe's own life involving the illness of his child-bride Virginia. Without that edge, his work would lose much of its eeriness. Nevertheless, Poe's writing does reflect upon his own personality.
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