THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER -EDGAR ALLAN POE
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER -EDGAR ALLAN POE
Introduction :
Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston. He is known for his poetry and short
stories. Poe is considered to be the inventor of the detective fiction genre
and has also contributed to the genre of science fiction. “The Fall of the
House of Usher” is a short story published in 1839 and was revised in 1840. The
story may be based upon events of the Hezekiah Usher House, which was located
on the Usher estate. The story is considered the best example of poet’s
Totality where in every element and detail is related and relevant. His notable
works are;
The
Black Cat
The Tell-Tale Heart
The Gold Bug
“I
became insane, with long ,intervals of horrible sanity.”
Fear of the house:
The
story has many of the qualities of a Gothic horror study. The psychological
elements are pronounced particularly when the twin brother and sister, Roderick
and Madeline, suffer from two different kinds of nervous affections and
particularly the catalepsy of Madeline, The unnamed narrator pays a visit to
his old friend Roderick Usher, He gets a glimpse of Madeline as she flirts
between rooms Roderick tells the narrator that his sister, Madeline is gravely
ill, She is catalogtic which is defined
as a person who has seizures and can go into a death line trance.
“They
learn something of the wisdom which I good and more of the mere knowledge which
is of evil.”
Death of the sister:
Not
long after this Roderick tells the narrator that Madeline died in night. He
asks the narrator to help him bury her. So, both of them carry Madeline coffin
down to the temporary tomb. After putting the coffin in its resting place, The
two men pull aside the lid and take a last look at Madeline. The narrator sees
a suspiciously lingering smile upon her lips which is so terrible in death.
After replacing the lid the friends return to the house. Both Roderick and his
friend know that Madeline often trances resembling rigor mortis. The
description of the supposed corpse makes the narrator stop to wonder and he is
suspicious of the smile. The narrator thinks that Roderick illness is due to
his worry about his sister. So before and after the death of the Madeline, he
tried in vain to make Roderick get out of his grief by reviving his interest in
literature and arts.
“A
nose of a delicate he brew model, but with a breadth of nostril unusual in
similar formations.”
After Effects :
A few
days after the burial, the narrator awakes terrorized. He dresses and goes to
see Roderick was asks him whether he has seen it. The narrator takes him to his
room and starts reading aloud the novel, “Mool trist”. When he finished a
sentence, he hears a terrible sound a crackling and ripping sound coming from
the remote part of the mansion. He continues reading and again he hears a
sound. The narrator does not want to trouble Roderick who has also heard the
sound moves his chair, so that his face is towards the door. The narrator
resumes reading again he hears a terrifying noise. So he goes to Roderick and
sees that his face has become completely right rigid, Roderick starts
whispering softly. The narrator understanding that he is saying that they have
buried him alive. Roderick stands to his feet and tells his friend that she is
standing outside the door.
“It
is sympathy for the sheep you wish to excite. I love a sheep from the bottom of
my heart.”
Conclusion :
Supernaturally, the door blow open and there stands the lady in
question. After awakening from her unconsciousness, she breaks open her tomb
using her physical power. She is covered with blood which shows that she
struggled to get out of the coffin with a low meaning cry she falls on to her
brother whom she has decided to take with her. Now she actually struggles in
death and Roderick too is died from the terror that has dreaded. Thus Madeline who was buried alive takes
revenge on her brother.
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