¶ … Setting in the Fall of the House of Usher
In many of Poe's stories and poems, setting is one of the most important elements used by the author. Poe possessed an uncanny ability to paint a gloomy and supernatural picture in the minds of his readers. Many critics believe that the reason for his use of gloom and despair was to make his readers understand the correlation between darkness and death.
Setting is one of the most important elements in Poe's short story, "The Fall of the House of Usher." His use of setting reveals early in the story that both the Usher family and the Usher mansion are decaying from the inside out. The reader can immediately identify with the setting, as it sits on the verge of collapse.
When the narrator first approaches the House of Usher, where he is visiting to comfort his old friend, Roderick Usher, he sees a rotten pool of water. He hesitates, reflecting on his reasons for coming to the dark, gloomy house. The narrator reveals that Roderick is suffering from mental depression and asked his old friend to visit him to cheer him up.
The narrator, at this point, looks into the pool of water, seeing the reversed image of the house. The contours of his own image are superimposed upon the house, giving it the appearance of face. In this clever passage, Poe makes the reader feel as though the house is alive.
Power's human characteristics when describing the house gives the story a supernatural feel. When interpreting the story, author Frank N. Magill writes, "Usher feels that it is the form and substance of his family mansion that affects his morale. He believes that, as a result of the arrangement of the stones,...
" Thus, although she is not aware as such of her position in society, she realizes however that the house they moved to does not correspond to what her family had been dreaming about. The small and crammed house offers almost as little space as the other places they lived in. When describing the small house, the author introduces the single metaphor in the speech of the child narrator, saying that
Poe's The Fall Of The House Of Usher Of all the authors to employ use of the Gothic style in their poetry or prose, none mastered the craft more than Edgar Allen Poe. The classic American fiction writer specialized in fostering a unique sense of dread and terror for his readers by successfully using elements of the Gothic genre such as the grotesque, or distorted imagery and setting, mysterious circumstances and
Introduction There is a rapid increase in the number of people who are living into older age. This essay will discuss the incidence of fall that is attributed to a lack of physical activity by people who are 65 years and above. With the number of elderly people rising with each passing day, it is estimated that in the next two years around 16 percent of the population will comprise of
House of Mirth The film revolves around the early years of the 20th Century and the changing faces of the economy hence the social response to such changes. It is predominantly a depiction of the lifestyle that most ladies opted for with the increase in urbanization and amassing of wealth by a few individuals. Lily Bart, the chief character in the movie, is depicted as one who is highly influenced by the
The narrator observes and describes but does not always interpret the events and the feelings of the characters to the reader. In other words, this narrative style could be termed limited omniscient. One should also take into account the fact that we are often in doubt about the exact nature of the feelings and thoughts of the main character. We are, for instance, not quite sure if Markheim is sincere
Fiction "The Fall of The House of Usher" is a very interesting story. It talks of a man who received a letter from his friend Roderick Usher asking him to visit. The letter talks of the torture and torment Roderick was going through and is a plea for help. In the letter, Roderick explains his distress over his mental illness and the state that he is suffering from. The man was
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now