Essay On The Fall Of The House Of Usher

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Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Fall of the House of Usher” describes the horrific end of a southern upper-class family line; yet, he does it in a gothic and gloomy style, which is common for most of his writings. Even though a sense of the southern lifestyle is not directly indicated, it is clear that the story could have taken place in Southern America, which would enable it to be classified as a brilliant piece of southern literature. The focal point of the story concentrates on the demise of a southern high-class family; as well as, the family estate. In my opinion, there are really four main characters in the story: the nameless narrator, Roderick Usher, his sister Madeline, and the decomposing house which takes on a persona of its. …show more content…
Even though Poe’s writings would often be considered as a type of gothic writing, romanticism is definitely revealed in “The Fall of the House of Usher”. I believe the most noticeable way it was demonstrated was by the human and nature connection; as well as, the supernatural. The writing seems to indicate that Roderick and Madeline both are connected to the house, and the house is connected to them. The Usher estate seems to have an extraordinary effect on Roderick’s appearance and health, plus it seems to be the source to his insanity. Another indication of romanticism in the story would be the fact that Madeline, Roderick’s sister had been buried for several days inside the dungeon; yet, she was somehow still alive. And not only had she survived without food and water, she was able to escape a tightly sealed tomb, which in my opinion points towards the involvement of a supernatural force. Furthermore, another supernatural force was realized at the end of the story as the mysterious narrator describes a horrible and dreadful storm as he escaped from the collapsing house, “From that chamber, and from that mansion, I fled aghast. The storm was still abroad in all its wrath as I found myself crossing the old causeway.” However, as he turned to look back, he said he could see the moon clearly, “The radiance was