The castles and mansions that provide the settings for traditional Gothic tales are full of grandeur, darkness, and decay. These settings are one of the most recognizable elements of traditional Gothic fiction. Setting is equally as important in modern Gothic literature as well. While the settings in the two stories, “Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe and “Where Is Here?” by Joyce Carol Oates, are incredibly different, they are also very similar. In “Fall of the House of Usher”, the setting takes place at the house of Usher, whose friend, the main character, comes to visit because Usher is dying. He travels through the house, visiting the family members and sees the house is in a serious state of disrepair. A theory on the story
is that the diagonal fissure going down the side of the house as well as the house collapsing are metaphors for Usher’s mental state. The setting of the mansion created a sense of dread to permeate from the story. The setting from “Where is Here?” similarly, also took place in a house, however, this one was not on the brink of collapse. Instead, it was the childhood home of an old man who returns to reminisce. After the wife invited him in, he explored the interior of the home, to the growing displeasure of the husband. The old man revealed some things about his family that imply that he did not have a good relationship with his dad. He also has a slip of the tongue, “We’ve all been dead…” This implies that he may be an apparition. Each room of the house has a slightly different feel to it. The living room had a warm feeling, while the dining room had a cavernous feel. After seeing all of the rooms the man had wanted to see, sans the basement, he asked to see the very thing. The husband becomes incredibly angry, and demands the man leave. This state persists even after the man had disappeared into the night. Both stories had incredibly similar themes and settings. A person showed up to a house, and proceeded to explore the house, and strange phenomena ensued, and finally the person left, either by force or fear. Setting is unimaginably important in Gothic stories, not only traditional, but modern as well, seeing as how without one, such feelings of dread could not be created.
Gothic literature and magical realism are similar because they have a spooky feel to them. In Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where is Here” the brother believes that something or someone has moved into their house which happens multiple times in this story. Another instance is when the brother and the sister have to move out and leave all the belongs behind. TFor example, o prove the The theory of someone takexing over the house on a page page thirty-nine paragraph six it states that “...when I heard something in the library or dining room” (#). Tthis showsn that the family is hearing something strange in the rooms. However, in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” is indistinguishable because it takes place in a house and something weird
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.
While most of the primary characters in the American Gothic cannon are members of the aristocracy, their societally dominant position does not guarantee them satisfying lives. The focus of this analysis will be the portrayal of the individual as it relates to his or her economic status: does having wealth mean that upper class characters are more likely to lead fulfilling lives than middle/lower class characters? Through a close reading of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The House of the Seven Gables, Kate Chopin’s “Désirée’s Baby,” and Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome, readers can clearly see a pattern of social commentary in which the members of the aristocracy are—in general—the most restricted, dissatisfied, and resentful characters in the cannon. Presented in chronological order, each work builds upon the themes of the one before it and offers new perspectives on class and the individual.
Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” and Julio Cortazar’s “House Taken Over” the settings are similar because they can both be described as dark in some passages, and ultimately alluring. However in Poe’s “The Fall of the House,” the setting is revolving around the climax, so it is all very dramatic and highly detailed, almost ominous. In contrast, Cortazar’s setting is slightly more laid back, things take place in time and it is all very dreamlike.
In the story “The Fall of the House of Usher”, Poe presents the history of the end of an illustrious family. As with many of Poe’s stories, setting and mood contribute greatly to the overall tale. Poe’s descriptions of the house itself as well as the inhabitants thereof invoke in the reader a feeling of gloom and terror. This can best be seen first by considering Poe’s description of the house and then comparing it to his description of its inhabitants, Roderick and Madeline Usher.
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.
Traditional Gothic writers based their works on several elements such as: horrendous incidents, tormented characters, supernatural occurrences, etc. However, one of the most important elements to these talented writers was setting. Setting may seem like a very straightforward literary term, but in reality, it has many layers which can convey many things to the reader. Two such Gothic writers that used setting to convey important ideas to the reader of their stories is: Joyce Oates, author of “Where is Here?” and Edgar Allan Poe, author of a horrendous story called “The Fall of The House of Usher”. Both writers use setting to: create a certain atmosphere, communicate the truths about their characters, and to foreshadow events.
A Sense of Tension in The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe
The Depiction of Fear in The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe
“The Fall of the House of Usher.” Short Stories for Students. Vol. 2. 1997. Print.
Both Poe and Oates have a gothic way of writing. It is obvious, after analyzing, that Oates is inspired by Poe’s writing but still has her own style. She has a similar mood in her story was Poe. They seem to almost make inanimate objects have emotions. In the stories “Where is Here” and “The Fall of the House of Usher” the settings groomy and the mood intensifies as the conflict comes to light.
Edgar Allan Poe’s life has captivated many. Along with his stories; the whole world has been entranced with him. His life and his works of literature such as The Fall of the House of Usher, cause an atmosphere of mystery that interests people. His life also influences his poems, novels and short stories, etc. Poe’s relationship his foster mother, Frances Allan, is alluded to and creates a deeper understanding of how significant Madeline is to Roderick Usher’s life.
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.
The House of Usher can be used to symbolically represent a person. The House of Usher has many human-like physical features, such as “the vacant eye-like windows,”(69). Another important part is that the house was “once a fair and stately place,”(79). In the beginning of the short story, the House of Usher is described as a dismal one, in general simply falling apart. The House’s physical form withers with age as do human bodies.
The Fall of the House of Usher by Roderick Usher is a horror novel that engages and thrills the reader throughout the whole story. The story is told through a narrator. Poe however did not use the typical faceless, nameless narrator that readers are accustomed too. In a magnificent way of writing Poe made his narrator into a critical character of the story.