The Fall of the House of Usher - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

He viewed them as being way to egoistical and optimistic and sought to redefine such views with some of his poetry and prose. The Fall of the House of Usher helped reintroduce some of the darker aspects of Puritan beliefs like original sin and the also brought up how every human being is capable of doing evil deeds. Edgar Allan Poe through the House of Usher and his other writings had believed that the truest form of reality comes from…

In this work, Edgar Allen Poe employs various gothic components to create a "scary story". The narrator received a letter from his boyhood friend, Roderick Usher to visit him because he was ill. The narrator came to visit and found a very "creepy" house. It was dark and deteriorating. The house, as described by the narrator, definitely had some supernatural elements. The events that happened in this work did not actually happen. I believe that the narrator imagined them. For…

Have you ever finished watching a horror movie at the movie theatre, and while walking out to your car the mixture of the bone chilling wind and darkness the seems to seep into every corner makes the aftermath of the movie worse then the movie. If you were at home wrapped up in your warm blanket then the aftermath wouldn’t be as bad. Edgar Allan Poe uses the same idea through setting and imagery to create an uneasy, dreary, and…

This essay will explore the ways Poe utilizes specific stylistic techniques and characterisation within his short stories of Ligeia and The Fall of the House of Usher to construct a state of suspense for the reader. The notion of suspense in this essay is to be defined as a ‘state of being suspended or kept undetermined’. The use of suspense in this manner attempts to immediately encapsulate a reader’s attention throughout the entire text. Poe manipulates this concept of suspense…

Edgar Allan Poe was a writer during the 1800’s and was well – known for his poems and short stories (biography.com editors). With his use of horror and mystery, Poe was the father of the detective fiction story (biography.com editors). In many of his short stories, the lines between life and reality are seen to be blurry, especially after his death in 1849 (biography.com editors). During the late 1830’s, Poe published his first collection of short stories, the Tales of…

The Usher mansion is transformed into the lifeless counterpart of the inhabitants. It is a symbol and a valuable character that makes the transition between the realm of the dead and that of the living creatures; it symbolizes death and decomposition. Its walls are encapsulating and suffocating the Usher twins, bringing the fall both inwardly and outwardly. Poe transforms the archetype of the Jungian womb and maternal figure into a cold container that soon will destroy its "objects", like a…

Prosecution of Roderick Usher In “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Roderick Usher is guilty of the premeditated murder of his sister, Madeline. While some readers might reach different conclusions, the most strict interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe’s work reveals clear evidence of Roderick’s culpability; by the end of the story, it is apparent that not only did Roderick bury Madeline alive, but he did so intentionally. Several elements of the short story verify this accusation: first, Roderick chooses…

Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" and Julio Cortázar's "House Taken Over" are two compelling and eerie tales that explore themes of isolation, decay, and the unknown. Despite their differences in style and cultural context, these stories share some striking similarities and differences in their portrayal of haunted houses and the psychological effects on their inhabitants. This essay will compare and contrast these two literary works, delving into their narrative techniques, themes, and the ultimate fate…

Throughout the majority of most people's lives, they come across individuals battling their inner demons, self-esteem issues, and depression in itself, and the recovery road out of it is a difficult and very long process. I myself have dealt with this in many different points of my life since I was a kid, teenager, and young adult. I’ve especially dealt with self-image problems which have intrigued me the most into this story, The Yellow Wallpaper, which I look forward to…

In many short stories, the Gothic image is made by the setting of the stories and the characters. The story “The Fall of the House of Usher”, which is written by Edgar Allan Poe, is considered a Gothic story because of the mysterious house and characters. Same goes for the short story “The Monkey's Paw” by W. W. Jacobs, which is essentially a horror chalked full of supernatural imagery and dark imagery. Strong similarities and differences can be seen between…

The American writer, Edgar Allan Poe, is known for short stories, such as ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’. These stories are described as disturbing, even in modern-day society, almost 200 hundred years after having been written. By using a variety of literary devices such as personification, sibilance, imagery along with the use of punctuation, these disturbing stories classify as ‘enjoyable horror’. From the first paragraph of ‘The Fall of The House of Usher’, Poe…

“The Fall of the House of Usher” is one of the many short stories written by Edgar Allan Poe, first published the year 1839. This short story belongs to the gothic genre and handles various topics such as illness, family, loneliness, death, weaknesses... Nevertheless, there is a theme in the tale which is not directly mentioned or addressed but insinuated: this is the topic of incest. The purpose of this essay will be to explore the underlying theme of incest…

The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe goes to a great extent to explore transcendental beliefs and related philosophy. Traditional transcendental philosophy ideally hints at an elevation upwards into unity and oneness with heaven. From the introduction, however, the reader is readily invited to the symbolism, the allusions and dark overtones that hint at the ordeals of death, transformation and a potential afterlife. The opening paragraphs provide subtle hints about reversed transcendental hierarchy in their description…

Throughout Edgar Allan Poe’s life, he wrote many short stories with deeper meanings that could be found through psychology, “The Fall of the House of Usher” being one of them. When looking at a story from a psychological standpoint, the unconscious mind of the author can be interpreted and shown in the stories that the author has written. The psychoanalysis of a story simply builds on this by using Freudian’s theories of psychology. Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the…

A comparison of Alfred Hitchcock and Edgar Allan Poe, focussing on the themes common to both authors. Hitchcock vs. Poe Fear, terror and suspense are the most vivid emotions created by Poe's stories and by Hitchcock's films. Several themes are common to both: the madness that exists in the world, the paranoia caused by isolation which guides people's actions, the conflict between appearance and reality along with the double aspect of the human nature, and the power of the dead…

A review of the novel "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allen Poe The Fall of the House of Usher is definitely a piece written in Poe's usual style; a dark foreboding tale of death and insanity filled with imagery, allusion, and hidden meaning. It uses secondary meanings and underlying themes to show his beliefs and theories without actually addressing them. It convinces us without letting us know we're being convinced, and at the same time makes…

Introduction to American Gothic in Poe's Work Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" is a hallmark of American gothic fiction, skillfully interweaving themes of metaphysical identities, familial ties, insanity, and seclusion. This essay ventures into an in-depth analysis of Poe's narrative craft, examining the profound influence of his personal tribulations on his stories and situating his work within the broader contours of American Gothic Literature. As defined by Prentice Hall Literature, this literary genre is distinguished…

The Gothic novel dominated English literature from 1764 when 'The Castle of Ortranto' by Horace Warpole was published, until the early to mid 19th century. The Gothic novel is characterised by darkness, dense forests, old castles, dreary rooms and melancholy characters. Although Gothicism began to relinquish its dominance around 1815, it influenced many emerging genres and can still be seen in some of today's popular styles. Stephen King, a famous horror writer, draws on suspense, the fear of loneliness and…

Show how Poe uses language to create atmosphere and describe the state of mind of the murderer and Roderick Usher. Consider how the modern reader might respond to these stories. Daniel Tiernan 4U Edgar Allen Poe was an American short story writer, editor for magazines and poet during the early to mid 19th century. Two of his short stories, 'The Tell Tale Heart' and 'The Fall of the House of Usher' were both written during the Victorian times when Gothic…

“The Fall of the House of Usher” is a short story written by Edgar Alan Poe and first published in 1839. The genre of the can be described both as mystics and as psychological thriller, or even as a horror story, although it’s plot appears to be pretty simple at the first sight. “The Fall” touches several themes, which are usual for Poe’s writing, including fear of loneliness, fear of death, flaws and human weaknesses. On the other hand this…

Introduction "The Fall of the House of Usher," penned by Edgar Allan Poe in 1839, stands as a quintessential example of Gothic literature, replete with gloom, darkness, and an unsettling atmosphere. Poe masterfully weaves a narrative that captivates readers with its melancholic ambiance and enigmatic characters. This essay delves into the profound elements of Poe's classic, exploring its themes, characters, symbolism, and the ingenious use of description that adds depth to the tale. The Essence of Gothic Elements "The Fall…

The narrator is a very altruistic character in “The Fall of the House of Usher”. He sincerely cares about Rodrick, even though his friend is slightly mentally insane, which creates a very complex relationship between the souls. Although the narrator initially intends to save Roderick from his own demise, he was forced to reject Rodrick as Mr. Usher was the source of his own torment. The narrator originally earnestly desires to go to Rodrick’s house. In the text, the narrator…

Comment closely on the writing of the (following) passage, paying particular attention to ways Poe creates a sense of fear. In this excerpt of “The Fall of the House of Usher”, Edgar Allan Poe makes use of personification, supernatural features, character portrayal, foreshadows and setting to create a sense of fear and to set a gothic tale. It also illustrates the beginning of Roderick Usher’s mental breakdown. One of the main ways Poe creates a sense of fear for the…

"The Fall of your house of Usher (1939 )", arguably Edgar Allan Poe's most popular short story, is a tale centered around the mysterious Home of Usher and its equally indiscernible inhabitants. These topics are pestered with physical and mental deterioration-- the Usher siblings experience different abnormal ailments and unexplained worries, while the home itself appears to be tethering on the edge of collapse. The gothic aspects in the story are distributed kindly, and the plot is significantly ridden with…

Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne, eminent figures of the American Romantic movement, continue to captivate readers with their timeless literary works. The enduring popularity of these writers can be attributed to their unique ability to delve into the complexities of the human mind, creating psychological literature that resonates as strongly today as it did during their lifetimes. Edgar Allan Poe: Architect of Psychological Terror Edgar Allan Poe, whose life spanned from 1809 to 1849, emerged during the inception of…

Mother, said little Pearl, the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. In Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne has committed the sin of adultery and wears a scarlet A on her chest to condemn her. Hawthorne develops the personalities of Hester Prynne, Pearl, and Arthur Dimmesdale by using the function of light and dark images in his writing. In Edgar Allan Poes The Fall of…

A discussion of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher", focusing on the symbolism of death. Edgar Allen Poe Edgar Allen Poe's Symbolism of Death in "The Fall of the House of Usher" Death is defined as, "The termination or extinction of something" (American Heritage Dictionary). Edgar Allen Poe uses this description in "The Fall of the House of Usher" in different ways. Poe's intention when writing "The Fall of the House of Usher" was not to…