Compare And Contrast Dracula And The Fall Of The House Of Usher

Vampires have been around for hundreds of years in folklore. The legend is originally based on Vlad Tepes, or Vlad the Impaler. Many authors have taken their own spin on the legend, including Bram Stoker’s Dracula and possibly Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher.” The ending of “Usher” has been debated for many years. People believe that the Usher family line from “The Fall of the House of Usher” is vampires, Madeline and Roderick’s incestuous relationship causes harm, and others believe it’s all in Roderick’s mind.
Roderick and Madeline Usher show many similarities to vampires.
Along with the physical similarities, they have many mental similarities. Roderick senses are completely heightened to a point where he can barely do things. In the text it states:
The most insipid food alone was endurable; he could only wear garments of certain texture; the odours of all flowers were oppressive; his eyes were tortured by even a faint light; and there were but peculiar sounds, and these from stringed instruments, which did not inspire him with horror. (Poe 5)
In vampire legends, they do not like sunlight and the drink human blood instead of eating food, so that could be a possible explanation

for the senses. Madeline is also described as having a wasting disease. She doesn’t sleep and she doesn’t eat. Vampires don’t sleep or eat human food. She could be wasting away because she isn’t drinking enough blood. The Usher family is also said to all share this disease.
While these traits are quite convincing, the most interesting one is Madeline’s death and what happens afterwards.

Madeline allegedly dies one night while the narrator is staying at the house. He helps Roderick entomb his beloved sister in a heavy metal room. He may have put her there because it would make it harder to escape. Despite his measures to keep her locked up, she escapes her tomb. During a storm that wakes Roderick and freaks him out, he exclaims “MADMAN! I TELL YOU THAT SHE NOW STANDS WITHOUT THE DOOR!” (Poe 15) Madeline appears covered in blood. Whose blood is it? Many speculate that is the butlers and things of that nature from the Usher house. Prior to Madeline’s appearance, screams can be heard throughout the mansion. She may have drank their

blood.
With the compelling evidence provided, one may believe that the Ushers are vampires. They have many qualifying traits and fit the description. Vampirism is a very good explanation for the wacky and wild things that go in inside the Us