“The Fall of the House of Usher” Edgar Allan Poe

Setting The story begins at dusk on an autumn day in an earlier time, probably the 19th Century. The place is a gloomy mansion in an abandoned countryside. The mansion, covered by a fungus, is encircled by a small lake. A bridge across the lake provides access to the mansion.  

Main Characters Narrator, a friend of the master of the House of Usher. When he visits his friend, he witnesses terrifying events.        Roderick Usher, the master of the house. He suffers from a depressing condition characterized by strange behavior.   Madeline Usher, twin sister of Roderick. She also suffers from a strange illness. After apparently dying, she rises from her coffin.    

Poe’s Diction You may not understand every single word, so use context clues. We know Poe is continually addressing gothic and romantic tendencies. Realize that all of the words are going to have dark, dreary, negative connotations. You do not necessarily have to know the meaning of every word to understand the story. Poe uses every word to instill horror, accompanied by oppressing morbidity and anxious anticipation.

Poe’s Diction (continued) Every word has a negative connotation somehow. Look at the opening words:  During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. 

Alliteration Besides painting a gloomy picture, the words in the paragraph also beat out a rhythm–at first through the alliteration of during, dull, dark, and day, and then through the rhyming suffixes of oppressively, singularly, and melancholy. 

Plot Discussion How do atmosphere and environment influence the narrator’s behavior? How do atmosphere and environment influence Roderick Usher’s behavior? How would you behave in the House of Usher? Would you react similarly to either the narrator or Usher?

Plot Discussion (continued) Think about why the boyhood friend is the narrator. This is Roderick Usher’s story, but it’s not told from his point of view. Consider why Poe delivers information to the reader from the perceptions of an outsider. Analyze the information given about Roderick and Madeline Usher’s illnesses. How these diseases affect them mentally and emotionally, as well as physically?

Plot Discussion (continued) Decide whether Roderick intentionally buries Madeline alive or not and why he would do so. Is Poe suggesting that Roderick Usher is trying to destroy a part of himself by destroying his sister? Why does Roderick Usher read “The Haunted Palace”?

Themes Isolation—Roderick and Madeline Usher seal themselves inside their mansion, cutting themselves off from friends, ideas, progress. They have become musty and mildewed, sick unto their souls for lack of contact with the outside world. Madness—Roderick and Madeline suffer from mental illness characterized by anxiety, depression, and other symptoms. Mystery—From the very beginning, the narrator realizes that he is entering a world of mystery when he crosses the tarn bridge. Complexity—You may not understand every single word, so use context clues. We know Poe is continually addressing gothic and romantic tendencies.

Symbolism Autumn The Fungus-Ridden Mansion The Collapsing Mansion The “Vacant eye-like” Windows of the Mansion The Tarn, a Small Lake Encircling the Mansion and Reflecting Its Image The Bridge Over the Lake The name Usher The Storm The poem, "The Haunted Palace” Others??

Plot (continued) Consider why the house is physically destroyed. Poe is using this as a symbol to make a statement about the Usher family itself. Think about the role the story’s title has on both a literal and symbolic level.

“The Cask of Amontillado”

Background Information Cask—a large barrel-like container made of wood, metal, or plastic, used for storing liquids, typically alcoholic drinks. Amontillado— a medium-dry sherry (wine). Translation: The Barrel of Wine

Characters Montressor—the narrator and a wealthy man intent on receiving revenge on Fortunato who is both a friend sworn enemy of Montresor's. Evil and unbalanced character. Fortunado—  A wine expert. Dressed as a court jester, He falls prey to Montresor’s scheme at a particularly carefree moment during a carnival.

“The Cask of Amontillado” The story is narrated by Montresor, who carries a grudge against Fortunato for an offense that is never explained Montresor leads a drunken Fortunato through a series of chambers beneath his palazzo

“The Cask of Amontillado” Although Fortunato has a horrible cough the promise of a taste of Amontillado spurs him deeper and deeper into the underground. When the two men reach the last underground chamber, Montresor chains Fortunato to the wall, builds a new wall to seal him in, and leaves him to die.

Literary Elements What literary device is used in the following line? Fortunado says: “Enough, the cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me, I shall not die of a cough.”