Analysis-of-The-Fall-of-the-House-of-Usher

TheFalloftheHouseofUsherAnalysisTheFalloftheHouseofUsherisoneofthemostpopularshortstorieswrittenbythegreatAmericanwriterEdgarAllanPoe,andit’salsoregardedastheearlyandsupremeexampleoftheGothichorrorstory.Thewholestoryiswritteninfirst-personpointofview.Beforeweanalyzethisstory,we’dbetterlookintoPoe’spersonallifeandgettoknowhisGothicismandliterarytheories.Poe’smostrecurringthemesdealwithquestionsofdeath,includingitsphysicalsigns,theeffectsofdecomposition,concernsofprematureburial,thereanimationofthedead,andmourning.[1]Manyofhisworksaregenerallyconsideredpartofthedarkromanticismgenre,aliteraryreactiontotranscendentalism.[2]AsinallofPoe’sshortstories,“TheFalloftheHouseofUsher”concentratesona“singleeffect”—inthiscase,thedegenerationanddecayoftheUsherhouseandfamily.Iwillbeginmy“FalloftheHouseofUsher”analysiswiththemoodandatmospheresetinthestory.Thestory’sbeginningpacksagloomypunch:“Duringthewholeofadull,dark,andsoundlessdayintheautumnoftheyear,whenthecloudshungoppressivelylowintheheavens,Ihadbeenpassingalone,onhorseback,throughasingularlydrearytractofcountry;andatlengthfoundmyself,astheshadesoftheeveningdrewon,withinviewofthemelancholyHouseofUsher.[3]Thehouse'smelancholysurroundingsarematchedbythemansion'sinterior,highlightedbylabyrinthinehallways,andatombinthebasement.Thepaintingsonthewallandbooksontheshelfcontributetothemansion'sGothicfeel.Poeestablishesthemoodwithspecificwordchoice:Therewasaniciness,asinking,asickeningoftheheart—anunredeemeddrearinessofthoughtwhichnogoadingoftheimaginationcouldtortureintoaughtofthesublime.Whatwasit—Ipausedtothink—whatwasitthatsounnervedmeinthecontemplationoftheHouseofUsher?[4]IfeltthatIbreathedanatmosphereofsorrow.Anairofstern,deep,andirredeemablegloomhungoverandpervadedall.[5]Poecarefullymakeseveryword,everyphrase,everysentenceinthestorycontributetotheoveralleffect,horror,accompaniedbyoppressingmorbidityandanxiousanticipantofterrifyingevents.HealsousesalliterationandconsonancealongwithalongwithwordsderivedfromAnglo-Saxontocreateharshnessinthesetting:dullanddark;tractofcountry,sinkingandsickening,unredeemeddreariness,andmanymore.Infact,thesicknessanddeathoftheUshersisaresultoftheatmospheresurroundingthehouseofUsher.Alltheghastlyimagesinsidethehousesymbolizethemadnessofthehouse’sinhabitants.Herearesomemainsymbolizationinthisstory.ThenameUshermeansadoorkeeper,inthissense,RoderickUsheropensthedoortoafrighteningworldforthenarrator.Thetarn,smalllakeencirclingthemansionanditsreflectingimagesymbolizethatMadelineasthetwinofRoderickreflectshisimageandpersonality;thedesireoftheUshersistoisolatethemselvesfromtheoutsideworld.ThebridgeoverthetarnimpliesthatthenarratorisUsher’sonlylinktotheoutsideworld.Thecentralthemeof“TheFalloftheHouseofUsher”isterrorthatarisesfromthecomplexityandmultiplicityofforcesthatshapehumandestiny.Dreadful,horrifyingeventsresultnotfromssingle,uncomplicatedcircumstances.InPoe’sstory,theHouseofUsherfallstoruinforthereasonsofevil,isolation,madnessandmystery.References:1.Kennedy,J.Gerald(1987).Poe,Death,andtheLifeofWriting.YaleUniversityPress.p.3.2.Koster,DonaldN.(2002).InfluencesofTranscendentalismonAmericanLifeandLiterature,LiteraryMovementsforStudentsVol.1.p.336.3.WuWeiren.HistoryandAnthologyofAmericanLiteratureVol.1.Beijing:ForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPress2007.p.136-141