The House
What specific feature does the narrator notice about the house (that was barely perceptible) that becomes very important in the end.
A fissure running top to bottom to bottom. This crack is symbolic of the cracks and instability of the Usher family.
Why does the narrator go to see Roderick Usher?
Because he wrote a letter and the heart with which he wrote it impacted the narrator. He wanted to go and see his friend to try to help him with his malady.
When the narrator notes the Ushers’ “peculiar sensibility of temperament,” what does he suggest about the family?
They possess a long-standing vulnerability to emotional and psychological disturbances.
What line indicates a shift in the poem?
"But evil things in robes of sorrow"
What do we learn about the connection between Usher and Madeline?
They are not just siblings, they are twins. This shows they are like two halves of a whole (sense of duality - like mind and body).
How does the narrator describe the room Usher was in when he first saw him?
The furniture is old and tattered, there are books and instruments scattered on the floor, the drapes are dark and heavy, etc. This shows how Usher is shutting out the world.
Why does the narrator read the Mad Trist to Usher?
What does the line “To an anomalous species of terror I found him a bounden slave” suggest about Usher’s condition?
He is completely dominated by irrational fear, which worsens his mental illness.
What are the two main reads of this poem?
A literal palace with a monarch, and the palace went from a place of beauty to a place of sadness.
A metaphorical poem about the mind and how it can devolve into madness.
What was the narrator's first encounter with Madeline?
He sees her walk past Usher's room and go into another. There is no interaction, and it is almost as if she is ghostlike.
How does the relationship between the twins most clearly reflect the condition of the House of Usher?
Their shared decline parallels the house’s physical and symbolic deterioration.
What does the narrator do after he sees Usher and Madeline die (be sure to describe how he sees it all end)?
He leaves the house. As he crosses the bridge, he looks back and sees a "blood red moon." He also notices the crack widening, and the light from the red moon shines on it. Eventually, it all crashes to the ground, into the tarn as the narrator watches.
Describe Usher's state of mind after Madeline "dies." Provide a specific example.
His mind is deteriorating even more. He flings open the windows in the storm, he rocks back and forth in his chair when the narrator read to him, etc.
What might the "pearl and ruby glowing" and the "fair palace door" symbolize in the poem?
The teeth and tongue of the the head, and the door is a mouth. These are elements of the person's head - the person whose mind goes from beautiful and harmonious to chaotic.
For how long does Usher wish to keep Madeline in the vault?
A fortnight - 2 weeks
What do we learn of the donjon/vault under the house (be sure to describe it in detail)?
It was used in olden times as a donjon keep as well as a place to hold munitions. It is also where Usher wishes to keep his sister, Madeline, after she "died." It is dark and damp, and has no lighting. The narrator notes that their torches almost went out when they used them to light it. It also includes a large, iron door that makes a grating sound when opened.
In the story, the narrator admits he cannot explain the dread he feels. How might this unreliable narration contribute to the story’s psychological tension?
It creates doubt about whether events are supernatural or the result of the narrator’s unstable perceptions.
The narrator describes Usher as having “A cadaverousness of complexion; an eye large, liquid, and luminous beyond comparison.” Based on this description, how does Poe portray Roderick Usher’s physical appearance?
Poe emphasizes Roderick’s sickly, death-like pallor (“cadaverousness of complexion”) and his unnervingly intense eyes (“large, liquid, and luminous”). This makes him appear both fragile and haunting, suggesting a man whose body is weakened while his mind is feverishly alive.
Explain these paradoxical lines: “Vast forms that move fantastically, to a discordant melody.” The second example is in last but third line, “And laugh— but smile no more.”
One would not expect moving, dancing to a "discordant" sound, or does it seem that one laughs but does not smile. However, these statements do make sense when one consider a mind that is going mad.
How long is Madeline in the vault?
7 or 8 days
Explain the storm taking place outside of the house AND what it symbolizes.
It began as a "rising" tempest like the rising madness in Usher's mind. It is also creates and adds to the eerie mood. The storm is described as very strong with winds and whirlwinds as well as dense clouds and an unnatural glow (could be read as supernatural or a chemical occurrence). It could also be seen as if the weather itself is against the Ushers, trying to knock down the house and the family.
The narrator says, “I was forced to fall back upon the unsatisfactory conclusion, that while beyond doubt, there are combinations of very simple natural objects which have the power of thus affecting us, still the analysis of this power lies among considerations beyond our depth.” What does this quote reveal about the narrator’s worldview?
The narrator admits that some natural environments affect human emotions in ways that logic cannot fully explain. This shows that although he is rational, and tries to rationalize everything, he is also open to the idea that certain psychological or atmospheric forces lie outside human understanding, which is an important element in the story.
Usher says, “I shall perish. . .I must perish in this deplorable folly. Thus, thus, and not otherwise, shall I be lost.” He also mentions the "phantasm fear."
What does Roderick Usher mean by this declaration, and how does it reflect his psychological state?
Roderick’s statement reveals his belief that his own mind, his “folly," is destroying him. He feels trapped by his hypersensitivity, fears, and obsessions, and he sees no escape except through mental collapse. This quote shows his profound vulnerability and the degree to which he believes his fate is predetermined and tied to his deteriorating psyche. He fears dying of fear.
How does the poem’s depiction of the palace most closely relate to Roderick Usher in "The Fall of the House of Usher”?
It relates in many ways. Consider the "laugh but not smile" and the idea of Usher's "hilarity." There is also a clear connection to the "luminosity" of things. Usher hand luminous eyes like the luminous windows in the poem. Also, in the poem we see a monarch going mad, as Usher does. Both can never return to a happier time before. Also, each has a narrator that recounts what had happened in the past.
Explain the way in which Madeline comes back. Be sure to consider what happens to Usher.
She has broken out of the vault and is all bloodied. She approaches Usher and falls on him. Both of them fall to the ground, dead.