History of American ...

First published: 1839

Type of work: Short fiction

Type of plot: Gothic (Romanticism)

Time of plot: Nineteenth century

Locale: House of Usher

Principal Characters

• Roderick Usher, a madman
• Madeline, his sister
• The Narrator, a visitor

Plot

       “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe that centers on a visitor who arrives at the decaying mansion of his childhood friend, Roderick Usher. The atmosphere is dark and oppressive, mirroring the troubled state of Roderick, who is afflicted by both physical and mental illnesses. The narrative unfolds as the visitor witnesses Roderick’s increasing paranoia and despair, compounded by the mysterious illness of his twin sister, Lady Madeline. As the story progresses, Roderick’s belief in the malignant influence of the house on their family’s fate becomes more pronounced. Following Lady Madeline’s death, her brother’s deteriorating mental state culminates in a horrifying revelation that she was entombed alive. The tale concludes with a dramatic climax, where the house splits apart, symbolizing the end of both the Usher lineage and the physical structure itself. (Keith).

Major Themes

•  Internal Nature of Madness

      The Fall of the House of Usher deals with the psychology of an unwell mind. In this case, instead of writing from the perspective of a madman, Poe uses a skeptical narrator to explore the internal nature of madness. Although the narrator tries his best to lift the spirits of Roderick, Roderick’s own mind is unable to allow any hope. The narrator describes Roderick’s negative and depressed mood as being so powerful that it almost projects its own negativity onto other things. Roderick’s isolation is thus as much mental as it is physical. (Sparknotes)

• The Real vs. The Supernatural

     At the core of the story lies a persistent conflict between science and superstition, reason and insanity, embodied by the narrator and Roderick Usher. From the narrator's arrival at the House of Usher, he experiences unease but quickly attributes it to his own imagination, offering logical explanations for the house’s gloomy atmosphere. Throughout the narrative, the reader is left to interpret whether the events are genuinely supernatural or simply a series of tragic events that can be understood through rational analysis.

• The Inevitability of Decay

      The story’s title refers to the inevitable collapse of the House of Usher. This downfall can be interpreted as a broader reflection on the certainty of death, or perhaps as Poe’s way of crafting an intense, suspenseful mood to captivate his audience. Furthermore, some literary critics view the decay depicted in the narrative as Poe’s commentary on European traditions and cultural models. During the 19th century, America was still a young nation striving to define its own cultural and literary identity, and the story may reflect that emerging distinction. Poe portrays the unavoidable decay and insanity embedded within these old traditions and conventions. If the story is predictable, it is because Gothic narratives almost always lead to a single conclusion: destruction. (Sparknotes)

Symbols

The Haunted Palace

      The song Roderick sings, “The Haunted Palace,” is an extended metaphor that compares the mind of a mad person to a haunted house or a palace under siege. This metaphor is representative of Roderick’s own mental deterioration. Although the person described in the song isn’t literally Roderick, the description of physical and emotional deterioration evokes his own, showing self-awareness of his pitiful state.

The House of Usher

      The story explicitly ties the physical House of Usher to the Usher lineage, stating that the peasants in that domain use the phrase “House of Usher” for both. However, the connection between the house and the family runs deeper. The decrepit house acts as a physical manifestation of the Usher family. With the dissolution of the family line, so too falls the house. Because the last of the Usher line are twins, that the crack divides the house in two signals their eternal separation in death. (Sparknotes)