Characters & Assoc. Info
This unnamed character narrates the story and visits the Usher mansion
Who is: the narrator?
This physical structure reflects the mental and emotional state of its owner
What is: the House of Usher/Usher House?
Poe frequently uses this figure of speech to describe the house as alive
What is: Personification?
The narrator arrives at the Usher estate after receiving this type of message
What is: a handwritten letter from Roderick?
Point of View that the story is written in
What is: first-person?
He is the last male heir of the House of Usher and suffers from extreme sensitivity
Who is: Roderick Usher?
This body of water surrounding the Usher mansion reflects the house and contributes to the eerie mood
What is the tarn (lake)?
The comparison of the Usher family to a slowly decaying structure is an extended example of this device
What is: metaphor?
Madeline is placed in this location after her apparent death
What is: the underground vault?
The story suggests that isolation can lead to this mental state
What is: madness?
Roderick's twin sister who ends up being buried alive
Who is: Madeline Usher?
The fissure in the house represents the division between these two characters
Who are: Roderick and Madeline?
Poe’s repetition of initial consonant sounds in phrases describing the house is an example of this sound device
What is: alliteration?
Roderick believes Madeline is still alive because of this quality of his illness
What is: heightened sense of hearing?
The story ultimately argues that this cannot be escaped
What is: death?
The "family curse"
What is: the family's direct/incestuous bloodline
Poe’s use of weather, architecture, and landscape helps establish this literary element
What is: setting?
Roderick’s extreme claim that his senses are unbearably intense is an exaggeration meant to emphasize his condition, making it an example of this device
What is: hyperbole?
This event occurs during a violent storm near the story’s climax
What is: Madeline's return from the tomb?
The fate of the family suggests this theme about lineage
What is: the downfall of (the upper class) family legacy?
The difference between Roderick and Madeline's illnesses
What is: sensory overload vs. sensory depravity
The crack running down the house symbolizes this theme
What is: destruction/decay?
The careful, almost tender burial of Madeline—who is later revealed to be alive—creates this form of irony
What is: situational irony?
The story ends with this final image
What is: the collapse/sinking of the House of Usher?
The storm occurring during the story’s climax is used to heighten this emotional effect
What is: tension/suspense?