During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the 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, 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 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. of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. 

And, acting upon this idea, I reined And, acting upon this idea, I reined

my horse to the precipitous brink my horse to the precipitous brink of a black and lurid tarn that lay of a black and lurid tarn that lay in unruffled lustre by the in unruffled lustre by the dwelling, and gazed down — but dwelling, and gazed down — but with a shudder even more with a shudder even more thrilling than before — upon the thrilling than before — upon the remodelled and inverted images remodelled and inverted images of the gray sedge, and the ghastly of the gray sedge, and the ghastly tree-stems, and the vacant and tree-stems, and the vacant and eye-like windows.eye-like windows.

        Nevertheless, in this mansion of Nevertheless, in this mansion of gloom I now proposed to myself a gloom I now proposed to myself a sojourn of some weeks.  Its sojourn of some weeks.  Its proprietor, Roderick Usher, had proprietor, Roderick Usher, had been one of my boon companions been one of my boon companions in boyhood.in boyhood.

I have just spoken of that morbid condition I have just spoken of that morbid condition of the auditory nerve which rendered all of the auditory nerve which rendered all music intolerable to the sufferer, with the music intolerable to the sufferer, with the exception of certain effects of stringed exception of certain effects of stringed instruments.  It was, perhaps, the narrow instruments.  It was, perhaps, the narrow limits to which he thus confined himself limits to which he thus confined himself upon the guitar, which gave birth, in great upon the guitar, which gave birth, in great measure, to the fantastic character of his measure, to the fantastic character of his performances. But the fervid performances. But the fervid facilityfacility of his of his impromptusimpromptus could not be so accounted for.  could not be so accounted for.  They must have been, and were, in the They must have been, and were, in the notes, as well as in the words of his wild notes, as well as in the words of his wild fantasias (for he not unfrequently fantasias (for he not unfrequently accompanied himself with rhymed verbal accompanied himself with rhymed verbal improvisations), the result of that intense improvisations), the result of that intense mental collectedness and concentration to mental collectedness and concentration to which I have previously alluded as which I have previously alluded as observable only in particular moments of the observable only in particular moments of the highest artificial excitement.highest artificial excitement.

There was blood upon her white robes, and the There was blood upon her white robes, and the evidence of some bitter struggle upon every portion of evidence of some bitter struggle upon every portion of her emaciated frame.  For a moment she remained her emaciated frame.  For a moment she remained trembling and reeling to and fro upon the threshold— trembling and reeling to and fro upon the threshold— then, with a low moaning cry, fell heavily inward upon then, with a low moaning cry, fell heavily inward upon the person of her brother, and in her violent and now the person of her brother, and in her violent and now final death-agonies, bore him to the floor a corpse, and final death-agonies, bore him to the floor a corpse, and a victim to the terrors he had anticipated.a victim to the terrors he had anticipated.

As if in the superhuman energy of his utterance there As if in the superhuman energy of his utterance there had been found the potency of a spell — the huge had been found the potency of a spell — the huge antique pannels to which the speaker pointed, threw antique pannels to which the speaker pointed, threw slowly back, upon the instant, their ponderous and slowly back, upon the instant, their ponderous and ebony jaws.  It was the work of the rushing gust — but ebony jaws.  It was the work of the rushing gust — but then without those doors there then without those doors there diddid stand the lofty and stand the lofty and enshrouded figure of the lady Madeline of Usher. enshrouded figure of the lady Madeline of Usher. 

From that chamber, and from that mansion, I fled aghast. The storm was still abroad in all its wrath as I found myself crossing the old causeway. Suddenly there shot along the path a wild light, and I turned to see whence a gleam so unusual could have issued ; for the vast house and its shadows were alone behind me. While I gazed, this fissure rapidly widened - there came a fierce breath of the whirlwind - the entire orb of the satellite burst at once upon my sight - my brain reeled as I saw the mighty walls rushing asunder - there was a long tumultuous shouting sound like the voice of a thousand waters - and the deep and dank tarn at my feet closed sullenly and silently over the fragments of the "House of Usher ."

THE PLOTTHE PLOT

The plot of this storie is clear the fall of the house of Usher, could be summarized in a phrase : Decadence and disappearance of the family and house of the Usher.

In this plot other typical subsubjects are mixed in Poe’s stories as the obsessions (Roderick's mental illness ), Superstition (Roderick believes in a family curse), and the perversion (Roderick is conscious that has buried his sister alive).

CHARACTERSCHARACTERS

Roderick UsherRoderick Usher: was a : was a man who was sunk in an man who was sunk in an eternal despair, isolated eternal despair, isolated from reality, looking from reality, looking forward the day of his forward the day of his death. No doubt this death. No doubt this man had a marked fear man had a marked fear of facing reality around of facing reality around him and Usher feels an him and Usher feels an exaggerated love for his exaggerated love for his sister.sister.

Usher’s friend : Usher’s friend : who who is the narrator of this is the narrator of this storie whose name is storie whose name is unknown is presented unknown is presented as the only childhood as the only childhood friend of Roderick friend of Roderick Usher, who went to the Usher, who went to the house after receiving a house after receiving a desperate letter from desperate letter from him.him.

Madeline UsherMadeline Usher: She : She definitely had a stronger definitely had a stronger character and temperate, character and temperate, is evident from the way is evident from the way it is spoken, not a it is spoken, not a nervous woman and nervous woman and delusional as his delusional as his brother, but as cold and brother, but as cold and respected. respected.

SETTINGSSETTINGS

The scenario where the story The scenario where the story takes place is an takes place is an environment where there is environment where there is a melancholic atmosphere. a melancholic atmosphere. Natural elements such as the Natural elements such as the fall, darkness or silence are fall, darkness or silence are used by the narrator to used by the narrator to produces a feeling of produces a feeling of sadness and melancholy that sadness and melancholy that since the beginning, since the beginning, accompanies the reader and accompanies the reader and  through the course of  through the course of events. events.

EDGAR ALLAN POEEDGAR ALLAN POE

January 19, 1809 – October 7, January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849 1849 was an American writer, was an American writer, poet, editor and literary critic, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the considered part of the American Romantic American Romantic Movement. Best known for his Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the tales of mystery and the macabre, macabre, Poe was one of the Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners earliest American practitioners of the short story and is of the short story and is considered the inventor of the considered the inventor of the detective-fiction genre. He is detective-fiction genre. He is further credited with further credited with contributing to the emerging contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction.genre of science fiction.

POE AND THE FALL OF THE POE AND THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHERHOUSE OF USHER

The novel The Fall of the House Usher seemed The novel The Fall of the House Usher seemed to us to be very interesting because it seems to us to be very interesting because it seems that Poe speaks of his personal life as if he that Poe speaks of his personal life as if he wanted to transmit a bit of his biography. He wanted to transmit a bit of his biography. He focuses very much in the death as if it was his focuses very much in the death as if it was his principal topic. One of the things that catch principal topic. One of the things that catch our attention was our attention was that history is a bit that history is a bit depressing and terrifying. He kept us in depressing and terrifying. He kept us in suspense throughout the storie.suspense throughout the storie.

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHERUSHER

VIVIANA BULDINGVIVIANA BULDING

ANDAND

CINDY GORDONCINDY GORDON