Usher Literary Devices

At the very beginning of The Fall of the House of Usher, what seized my attention was the strong, almost severe comparison that Poe used. “[It was] an utter depression of soul which...can[not] be compare[d] to [any] earthly sensation more properly than the after-dream of the reveler upon opium” (69). This phrase particularly stood out because it characterized the depression which the “narrator” felt. Based on his previous descriptions, one would know the general mood about house, but this comparison to such a severe occurrence as drug addiction really brings the comparison to life. This created a deeper connection to the readers, because it creates vivid imagery of how melancholy the house is. This is also a really important introductory point,

because it is the first part that really sets the tone and mood for the entire rest of the story.
In the story, Usher sings a song titled “The Haunted Palace,” which Poe uses for many purposes.

Usher was also once a happy and joyous man, similar to the monarch of the song, but after “evil things, in robes of sorrow, assailed…[his] estate,” (80) both begin the long journey downward to despair. This song is a metaphorical description of Usher’s life, but also creates a blurred line as to what is real and what is fake in Usher’s life. He has an obsession with poems and other works of literature, and the content of his obsessions are so closely similar to real occurrences that it leaves the reader wondering if his obsession might have ushered these literary occurrences into his actual life. This song also adds to the eerie and mysterious mood of the story, because of the coincidence in its context and the depressing manner in which the content is

relayed.
Another important element in the story is the play on words that was used for both the naming of Usher and the confusion between the family Usher and the House of Usher, thus resulting in the title, The Fall of the House of Usher. The name Usher could be taken to symbolize the fact that the family themselves ushered this mental situation into their lives, or inflicted this insufferable gloomy atmosphere upon the estate, resulting in their “mental illness.” The “‘House of Usher’ [was] an appellation which...include[d]… both the family and the family mansion”(71), which goes to show that the separation between the family and the mansion is unclear, and what is often described as the characteristics of the mansion may be perceived as a subtle revelation to the family line of the Ushers. For example, when the mansion is described as “[having] a wild inconsistency between its still perfect adaptation of parts and the crumbling condition of the individual stones”(72), it is also describing the condition of the family Usher, and how although they may look like a perfect wealthy line of people, each of the members suffered from intolerable gloom and despair as their lives progressed. The word Usher may only have five letters, but behind those letters hides the many hidden metaphors and comparisons that would otherwise have bleak effects on the plot of the story.
“Perhaps the eye of a scrutinizing observer might have discovered a barely perceptible fissure” (72) that ran down the length of the house and disappeared into the tarn. This fissure represents the tiny details that Usher missed, and how the details suddenly became so prominent and led to Usher’s end- similar to how the fissure “rapidly widened” (90) and destroyed the mansion. After they entomb Lady Madeline, Usher begins to hear sounds of Lady Madeline attempting to escape. However, he choses to ignore his acute observations, and these facts end up enveloping him and dragging him down. The tarn represents shows the identical reflection of the house, metaphorically representing the identicality of the two twins. Since they are so similar, at the end of the story, they both die at the end, and become “reflections” of their past selves. The ending of this short story was a tragic one, but in the world of literature, it was excellent because of the many underlying messages and hidden meanings within the content that hold different meanings for every reader.
Fear is something to fear in itself, because improper or no control over it will ultimately lead to your downfall.

Roderick Usher feared his sickness, his “dead” twin sister, his hereditary “disease,” his house, and his fears themselves. His worrying and terror over his many fears, along with the insufferable atmosphere of the mansion, eventually lead to his demise. The narrator of this story also had his many fears, but exercised control over them until the very end of the story, when he fled of panic and horror. The two contrasting examples of fear in this story show that you must control your fears, or they will end up controlling

you.
In “The Cask of Amontillado,” the way the characters are dressed and named are symbolic, and representative in the way their character is perceived. Fortunato, whose name means to be fortunate, is dressed in a “tight-fitting parti-striped dress…[and] the conical cap and bells” (97)- the look of a jester, or a fool. His name is symbolic because while his name means to be fortunate, reality suggests otherwise. The outfit in which he is dressed shows that he is literally and dreadfully fooled by Montresor’s carefully conceived plan. Montresor’s name means to show fate, and he justifies his horrendous actions at the end by introducing this story with him as a victim. He describes himself as a victim by saying, “the thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge”(96).
The irony of this story surfaces in many places, and leaves the reader pondering the hidden meanings behind these coincidental happenings. The time which this incident occurs, and the jingling of the bells in the grave atmosphere of the vaults, among other ironic instances, are ways that Poe reinforces his grave mood. At the end of the story, among the remains of the dead, we hear a “jingling of the bells” (103) from Fortunato’s cap, which increases the gloomy and depressing mood of the story. What makes the situation even more daunting is the fact that this murder occurs amidst festivities and celebration. Poe uses the contrast from such ironic situations to make the shadowy aspects of the story even darker than they already are.
The Montresor family shield and motto are allegorical of the relationship between Montresor and Fortunato. The family shield is “[a] foot crush[ing] a serpent rampant whose fangs are embedded in the heel” (99). The foot is Montresor, while the serpent represents Fortunato. Although Fortunato has delivered some biting insults, Montresor ultimately wins the “struggle” between the two men. The family motto, “nemo me impune lacessit” (99) demonstrates that since Fortunato “attacked” Montresor, he will not go without punishment.
The setting of this story gradually gets darker, both metaphorically and not, as the story progresses. The darker their surroundings become, the further they go into the “realm of the dead,” which eventually claims Fortunato. The irony of their journey is that Montresor kept imploring Fortunato to turn back, because his “health [was precious]...and [he could not] be [held] responsible” (99), but Fortunato refused until it was too late and he was forever chained with the dead. However at the end, Fortunato shows some defiance when he refuses to reply to Montresor, thus getting a small victory in the face of such a dire situation.
Never judge anything by its outward appearance, because looks are, more often than not, deceiving and misleading. Fortunato full heartedly believed in Montresor’s lie about Amontillado, but it was his blind trust that led to his demise. While it looked like a carnival day of celebration, below the surface, there was a murder playing out. Both of these instances represent what the situation seems to be, in contrast with what is actually happening. This goes to show that no matter how something or someone appears to be, you must know what is beneath the surface to know the true intentions hidden behind their mask.