The Fall Of The House Of Usher Analysis - 1696 Words

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines fear as â€Å"an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger†. Despite this feeling being extremely unpleasant for most, both authors and readers alike love the feeling that fear can give a person. Authors, especially those of different types of Gothic literature, particularly enjoy using transformation in their work to provoke feelings of fear in their readers. It helps them to draw readers in and keep them invested in their reading. Two examples of pieces of literature that use transformation to scare are â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† by Edgar Allan Poe and â€Å"Where is Here?† by Joyce Carol Oates. â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† is about a man who goes to visit his†¦show more content†¦Roderick Usher specifically can be seen reaching his total breaking point and losing his mind over the supposed death of his sister, Madeline. The reader eventually learns t hat Madeline had never actually died and that Roderick had buried her alive. The reader sees his complete mental breakdown with him screaming, â€Å"We have put her living in the tomb! Said I not that my senses were acute? I now tell you that I heard her first feeble movements in the hollow coffin. I heard them—many, many days ago—yet I dared not—I dared not speak!† (Poe 46). At this point, Roderick has gone from being somewhat mentally unstable to being absolutely broken inside. Any person who would willingly bury their own sister alive can not be in the right state of mind. When he starts yelling and repeating himself, the reader can tell that he is not okay. Those reading the story have no idea what Roderick could possibly be thinking and are worried about what he may do. The fear of not knowing what is going to happen can affect the readers and cause fear to rise up inside them. Another example of when characters transform is when characters change e motionally. â€Å"Where is Here?† is a story about a man who comes to visit his childhood home. While he is there he starts to go from a seemingly polite person to losing control of all of his emotions. He was in the son’s room, showing him a math riddle, and â€Å"after several minutesShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of The Fall of the House of Usher1122 Words   |  5 Pages In The Fall of the House of Usher, Edgar Allan Poe writes of a sickly brother and sister that live in an old estate, and a narrator’s account of the Ushers’ final days. The story is scary on two different levels. The first and most obvious that is noticed just by reading on the surface is the creepy atmosphere of the house and death of the main characters. Poe makes this level of scariness very accessible by the diction and imagery that he uses. The second level of scariness is the psychologicalRead MoreThe Fall of the House of Usher Analysis1277 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The Fall of t he House of Usher† - Review â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† is a short story written by Edger Allan Poe in 1839. Almost everything about the story is very gloomy, dark and depressing. For example, the house is described by the narrator as â€Å"the melancholy House of Usher† and the description of Roderick Usher himself makes you think of a corpse. This theme of dreariness and sorrow pervades the story and is done to a very chilling effect, which really draws in the readerRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of The Fall In The House Of Usher884 Words   |  4 PagesInto the Mind of Fear: Literary Analysis â€Å"...Madman!- he sprung to his feet, and shrieked out his syllables, as if in the effort he were giving up his soul†(Poe 277). The short stories, The Fall in the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe, and The Minister’s Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne explore fear in a deeper context. Fear is a very common emotion. Fear is the result of encounters with the unknown. The Fall in the House of Usher, shows a very anxious Roderick Usher sending for a childhood friendRead MoreThe Fall Of The House Of Usher Analysis821 Words   |  4 Pageshuman beings aren’t used to seeing or recognizing. Fear is like an illness that will never go away no matter how hard we try everybody is afraid of one thing or the other so either way we will recognize it. Like in the story â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† ,the Ushers are known to have a mental illness that causes them to go psychological, and crazy ideas go into their head just so they can get rid of it. â€Å"The br eaking of the hermit’s door and the death cry of the dragon, and the clangor of theRead MoreA Critical Analysis of The Fall of the House of Usher Essay914 Words   |  4 PagesA Critical Analysis of The Fall of the House of Usher There are three significant characters in this story: the narrator, whose name is never given, Roderick and Madeline Usher. The narrator is a boyhood friend of Roderick Usher. He has not seen Roderick since they were children; however, because of an urgent letter that the narrator has received from Roderick which was requesting his assistance in alleviating his malady, the narrator makes the long journey to theRead MoreAnalysis Of Bipolar Disorder In The Fall Of The House Of Usher1536 Words   |  7 Pagespsychological disorders including bipolar disorder. Edgar Allan Poe was one of many who were diagnosed with this disorder, and it is prevalent in many of his works. The Fall of the House of Usher by Poe clearly depicts the symptoms of bipolar disorder, and he translates his feelings on the topic as well. Through the use of Roderick Usher and his sister, Madeline, Poe depicts the transference of bipolar disorder within a family, and more specifically with twins. Deciphering a story centered around a psychologicalRead MoreThe Fall Of The House Of Usher Literature Analysis826 Words   |  4 Pagessuperior or lasting artistic value. In the short story, â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† written by Edgar Allen Poe, Usher is a senile middle aged man who invites an old friend to his gothic mansion. While arriving the narrator notices mysterious events beginning to happen. Also, in â€Å"House Taken Over† written by Julio Cortazar, siblings find themselves in post WWII Argentina trying to avoid a dangerous entity manifesting and taking over their house. Gothic Style uses the power of suggestion and implicationRead MoreFall of the House of Usher Literary Analysis Essay1325 Words   |  6 PagesLiterary Analysis As with many of Edgar Allan Poes pieces, The Fall of the House of Usher falls within the definition of American Gothic Literature. According to Prentice Hall Literature, American Gothic Literature is characterized by a bleak or remote setting, macabre or violent incidents, characters being in psychological or physical torment, or a supernatural or otherworldly involvement (311). A story containing these attributes can result in a very frightening or morbid read. In all probabilityRead MoreAnalysis Of Poe s The Fall Of The House Of Usher 3197 Words   |  13 PagesTanner Hakert Introduction to the Short Story Final Paper December 10, 2014 Poe’s â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† Edgar Allan Poe is an American poet from the early 1800s who has been regarded in many literary handbooks as â€Å"the architect of the modern short story† (Poetry Foundation). Since his death in 1849, Poe has become world renowned for his critical theories as well as his many haunting poems and short stories. But Poe s work hasn’t always been as popular as it is today. In 1827, Poe publishedRead MoreThe Fall Of The House Of Usher - Literary Analysis Essay1196 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿The Fall Of the House Of Usher is a short story written by Edgar Allen Poe in 1839. The short story is complexly written, with challenging themes such as identity and fear. Poe utilises many elements of the Gothic Tradition such as setting and supernatural elements to create a more mysterious story, and uses language to his advantage, employing adjective filled descriptions of literal elements that also serve as metaphors for other parts of the story. In The Fall Of The House of Usher, Poe explores