The Fall Of The House Of Usher Mood Analysis

583 Words2 Pages

Setting and Mood has a Relationship!!
“Analysis of Setting and the Mood Relating”
”The house smelled musty and damp, and a little sweet, as if it were haunted by the ghosts of long-dead cookies,” said Neil Gaiman, American Gods. This relates to Poe and Oates because in both of their stories there is a weird atmosphere and there is a ghost. Edgar Allan Poe was coeditor of Burton’s Gentlemen’s Magazine. It was in this magazine that he first published The Fall of the House of Usher (page 293). Joyce Carol Oates discovered the Gothic novels from many authors, one of them was Edgar Allan Poe. She states, “Horror is a fact of life!” Oates was born in a rural town (page 324). Setting and mood work together when it comes to The Fall of the House of Usher and Where is Here.
In The Fall of the House of Usher and Where is Here affects the mood from the audience. In The Fall of the House of Usher Edgar sets the mood by describing everything that can be described. One of my favorite descriptions was, “… A sickly smile quivered about his lips…” (page 309). The mood affected the setting because the mood that is set is the way that you see the setting. In Where is Here the mood is set and uncomfortable, weirded out, and annoyed. Oates describes the stranger as stiff and looking …show more content…

Edgar Allan Poe described the day that the narrator shows up. He described it as dull, dark, and soundless in autumn (page 293). Poe was so illustrative that it made you feel as though you were there watching the events unfold. Joyce Carol Oates was very illuminative when she described the stranger. He was in his late forties, wearing a dark suit, sober, intelligent face, and frowning eyes (page 325). Oates also expressed that the posts that were connected to the swings in the backyard were rotten. After the stranger left the house became very gloomy and Joyce did a superior job of demonstrating

Show More
Related

  • Comparing Poe’s Fall of the House of Usher and Taylor’s Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time

    1084 Words  | 3 Pages

    From the onset of the story, it is apparent that Poe is employing a gothic theme upon his work. The narrator’s portrayal of the home of his longtime friend, Roderick Usher was as follows, “I looked upon the scene before me – upon the bleak walls – upon the vacant eye-like windows – upon a few rank sedges – and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees” (Poe, 75). T...

    Read More

  • The Fall of the House of Usher

    655 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “The Fall of the House of Usher”, Poe’s use of dark, descriptive words allow him to establish an eerie mood. Poe’s unique style of writing along with his foreshadowing vocabulary is significant in creating a suspenseful gothic story. At the beginning of the short story, Poe describes the House of Usher to be “dull”, “oppressive”, and “dreary” (1265). His choice of words strongly emphasizes a mood of darkness and suspense as he builds on the horrific aspects of this daunting tale. At first glimpse, the house itself is surrounded by the feeling of “insufferable gloom”, (1265) “[t]here was an iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart, an unredeemed dreariness of thought [...]” (1265). The atmosphere that Poe describes in the statement above establishes a spine-chilling mood. Poe uses words such as “insufferable gloom”

    Read More

  • Symbolism and analysis of "The Fall of the House of Usher"

    837 Words  | 2 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe is undoubtedly one of American Literature's legendary and prolific writers, and it is normal to say that his works touched on many aspects of the human psyche and personality. While he was no psychologist, he wrote about things that could evoke the reasons behind every person's character, whether flawed or not. Some would say his works are of the horror genre, succeeding in frightening his audience into trying to finish reading the book in one sitting, but making them think beyond the story and analyze it through imagery. The "Fall of the House of Usher" is one such tale that uses such frightening imagery that one can only sigh in relief that it is just a work of fiction. However, based on the biography of Poe, events that surrounded his life while he was working on his tales were enough to show the emotions he undoubtedly was experiencing during that time.

    Read More

  • Empiricism In Poe's The Fall Of The House Usher

    1295 Words  | 3 Pages

    Poe begins his with a description of the setting. It was a “..dull, dark, and soundless day..” (Poe, 90). The narrator explains that he is on his way to an old friend 's house, Roderick and Madeline Usher, who both live in the mansion. He then explains what he sees at first glimpse of the mansion. “I looked upon the scene before me – the bleak walls, vacant eye-like windows, rank sedges, and a few white trunks of decayed trees..” (90). The setting is dark and full of potential evil; making it a romantic

    Read More

  • Figures of speech in The Fall of the House of Usher

    654 Words  | 2 Pages

    Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, sets a tone that is dark, gloomy, and threatening. His inclusion of highly descriptive words and various forms of figurative language enhance the story’s evil nature, giving the house and its inhabitants eerie and “supernatural” qualities. Poe’s effective use of personification, symbolism, foreshadowing, and doubling create a morbid tale leading to, and ultimately causing, the fall of (the house of) Usher.

    Read More

  • The Fall Of The House Of Usher Essay

    914 Words  | 2 Pages

    For illustration, in the case of “The Fall of the House of Usher”, it was not evil that triggered the mansion to breakdown in the end. It was fear and insanity. Nonetheless, “The Fall of the House of Usher” tells a gloomy and hunting story of a friend’s unsuccessful effort to aid another friend. It is often the description of the landscape in any story that creates a vibrant description of the scene and it helps to develop the mood. Edgar Allan Poe was a master at using images to develop his stories. He had a tendency of using landscapes to symbolize some important features of his story. Likewise, he used landscapes to induce fear. In “The Fall of the House of Usher”, the story depends on the portrayal of the house itself to create a certain atmosphere and to relate to the Usher’s family. Poe depends on the portrayal of the house itself to create a certain atmosphere. As Roderick gradually fall into a state of decay, both psychological and physical, so does the house’s structure also weakens, and in the end with the demise of the family it collapses into the lagoon in which it was

    Read More

  • Imagry in the Fall of the House of Usher

    1382 Words  | 3 Pages

    He describes his superstition one night, "I endeavored to believe that much, if not all of what I felt, was due to the phantasmagoric influence of the gloomy furniture of the room…" (1468). Hence, Poe makes use of the house to create a supernatural effect. Likewise, Poe describes the house to create a terrifying effect. "The Fall of the House of Usher" is a horror story. In order to develop a mood to get the reader frightened, Poe must portray the setting of the story. The house is described initially by the narrator, who sees the image of the house as a skull or death’s head looming out of the dead. He is not sure what to think and comments of the properties of the old house: "What was it, I paused to think, what was it that so unnerved me in the contemplation of the house of Usher?

    Read More

  • Poe's Fall of The House of Usher Essays: Suspense

    418 Words  | 1 Pages

    In "The Fall of the house of Usher," Edgar Allen Poe creates suspense and fear in the reader. He also tries to convince the reader not to let fear overcome him. Poe tries to evoke suspence in the reader's mind by using several diffenent scenes. These elements include setting, characters, plot, and theme.  Poe uses setting primarily in this work to create atmosphere. The crack in the house and the dead trees imply that the house and its surroundings are not sturdy or promising. These elements indicate that a positive outcome is not expected. The thunder, strange light, and mist create a spooky feeling for the reader. The use of character provides action and suspense in the story through the characters' dialogue and actions. Roderick, who is hypochondriac, is very depressed. He has a fearful apperance and his senses are acute. This adds curiosity and anxiety. The narrator was fairly normal until he began to imagine things and become afraid himself. Because of this, the audience gets a sense that evil is lurking. Madeline is in a cataleptic state. She appears to be very weak and pail. Finally, when she dies, she is buried in a vault inside of the mansion. In this story, the plot consists of rising events, conflict, climax, and resolution. The rising events include the parts in the story when the narrator first arrives at the house, meets Roderick, and hears about Roderick's and Madeline's problems. Madeline's death and burial are part of the conflict. At this point, Roderick and the narrator begin to hear sounds throughout the house. The sounds are an omen that an evil action is about to occur. The climax is reached when Madeline comes back from the dead and she and her twin brother both die. Finally, the resolution comes when the narrator escapes from the house and turns around to watch it fall to the ground. The theme that Edgar Allen Poe is trying to convey is do not let fear take over your life because it could eventually destory you.

    Read More

  • Gothic Theme in Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the beginning of the story, with an extensive and vivid description of the house and its vicinity, Poe prepares the scene for a dreadful, bleak, and distempered tale. The setting not only affects Poe’s narration of the story but influences the characters and their actions as well. Both the narrator and his boyhood friend, Roderick Usher, question w...

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Fall Of The House Of Usher And The Tell Tale Heart

    1165 Words  | 3 Pages

    Poe sets the setting as dark and gloomy, most likely to give the reader the death is in the air vibe in the beginning of “The Fall of the House of Usher”. “There was an iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart - an unredeemed dreariness of thought which no goading of the imagination could torture into aught of the sublime. What was it - I paused to think - what was it that so unnerved me in the contemplation of the House of Usher?” The narrator, who is nameless throughout the whole story, receives a letter from an old childhood friend. According to the letter Roderick, the narrator’s childhood friend, has invited the narrator

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis On The Fall Of The House Of Usher

    546 Words  | 2 Pages

    The well known story, The Fall of the House of Usher, is a tragedy based story because of Poe’s ability to create a moral weakness, an inability to cope with unfavorable circumstance, and a spell binding resolution.

    Read More

  • Single Effect In The Fall Of The House Of Usher

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fear is a prominently depicted theme in this short story. From the start of the short story, you are able to sense the fear through the words of the narrator. The words of the narrator convey that the setting as a fearful place, the House of Usher. When the narrator makes his way towards the House of Usher, the sense of mystery and fear takes over, intimately causing the narrator to shiver. The setting itself was not the only detail conveying fear, further in the story we encounter Roderick. Roderick is the excellent example of fear, as exemplified when he said: “I have, indeed, no abhorrence of danger, except in its absolute effect--in terror. In this unnerved—in this pitiable condition--I feel that the period will sooner or later arrive when I must abandon life and reason

    Read More

  • Gothic Themes In The Fall Of The House Of Usher

    1466 Words  | 3 Pages

    From the very first paragraph, the weather surrounding the “House of Usher” does a spectacular job of building a dark and gloomy atmosphere. Poe also goes into detail about the Usher family history, which hints at inbreeding. This practice makes both of the Usher twins sick, leading to their death. Beyond that, the author uses a crack in the mansion to symbolize what inbreeding does to the family. It initially weakened the family with a tiny crack, but by the end of the story, the crack causes the whole house to crumble, coinciding with the collapse of the Usher name. Lastly, Roderick Usher is marked for his fearful demeanor. In fact, he is so ruined uby his anxiety, that he rightfully predicts that it will kill him. The remarkable attention to detail of Poe is evident in all three of these points. Using setting to promote the mood of a tale was probably less common in the 1800s than it is now. Also, his ability to develop characters in a short story is still a talent that we do not see much of today. Ultimately, “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a marvelous piece of Gothic literature that captures Edgar Allan Poe at his

    Read More

  • The House Of Usher Response

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Fall Of The House of Usher is a terrifying tale of the demise of the Usher family, whose inevitable doom is mirrored in the diseased and evil aura of the house and grounds. Poe uses elements of the gothic tale to create an atmosphere of terror. The decaying house is a metaphor for Roderick Usher’s mind, as well as his family line. The dreary landscape also reflects his personality. Poe also uses play on words to engage the reader to make predictions, or provide information. Poe has also set the story up to be intentionally ambiguous so that the reader is continually suspended between the real and the fantastic.

    Read More

  • The Depiction of Fear in The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe

    2174 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Depiction of Fear in The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe

    Read More

More about The Fall Of The House Of Usher Mood Analysis

Open Document