Poe's Stories brief biography of edgar allan poe
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Short Story By Flannery OConnor
| One of the ways that Poe exaggerates the horror of the House of Usher is by making its effect unclear. Though we have been led to believe that it is a genetic, inherited disorder, passed between building and family, sometimes it seems that if the narrator were to stay long enough, he too would succumb to the sickness – he already feels a change in mood which resembles Usher’s nervous condition. Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com ©2017 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 26 As the narrator of "House of Usher" does this, he hears a footfall outside the room and knows that it is Usher. The next moment, Usher enters, pale as usual but within a higher state of mania, but the narrator welcomes any company on this gloomy night. Usher asks the narrator if he has seen it, and finding that he hasn’t, comes into the room and opens the window, letting a gust of stormy air in. Outside, a beautiful, terrible storm is raging, with rapid winds that change direction suddenly and thick clouds. There is no moonlight, but instead an aura of some kind of gas surrounds the building. True to Gothic format the height of the mystery, the weather corresponds with the psychological turmoil of the characters, but Poe puts an interesting twist on the traditional storm, making it electrical and beautiful—much like Usher's art—and its effect ambiguous. The narrator of "House of Usher" wants to shield Usher from this sight, which he explains is nothing more than an electrical phenomenon. He suggests reading from one of their favorite volumes, called The Mad Trist”. In fact, it is a bit of a joke to call this book one of their favorites, but the narrator hopes it will be different enough from his spiritual fantasies to distract him he thinks right. The narrator’s idea to read to Usher is a reminder of the childlike Usher, described earlier by the narrator, who had a passion for stories and a big imagination. So at first, the image of the narrator reading to Usher is a sweet image, the narrator taking a kind of mother-like role and comforting him. The narrator of "House of Usher" comes to the point in the book where Ethelred, during a storm, comes to the Hermit’s dwelling and breaks down the door. As the narrator reads these words, he imagines he hears an echo from somewhere in the mansion that fits perfectly with the sound described. He assures himself it must have just been the strange storm and carries on. But again as Ethelred beats the dragon, the narrator pauses again at a sound very like the shriek that he imagines the dragon making. Though this second coincidence scares the narrator, he keeps calm in front of Usher. But as the storm rages, the house becomes the antagonist again and seems to act against them. Imagination is a dangerous thing in this house, and it is not yet clear at this point how much of this atmosphere is imagined and how much is real. But, again, using lists and patterns of three, Poe gradually builds the suspicion that these interruptions are real and not imagined. Usher’s behavior, as the reading progresses, has altered from being intent on the reader to now watching the doorway, and rocking back and forth. The narrator of "House of Usher" carries on, but again as Ethelred drops his shield, a metallic sound reverberates through the house and the narrator can’t help but jump up from his seat. Usher stays where he is, still rocking. As the narrator touches User's shoulder, Usher shudders and begins murmuring. He says he has heard it all, and he knows that Madeleine has been buried alive. Even days ago, he heard the first movements from deep in the vault. Usher is so in touch with the imagined world of the book and with Download 0.58 Mb. Share with your friends:
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