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Allusions In The Fall Of The House Of Usher

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The Trinity of The Fall of the House of Usher The Fall of the House of Usher is one of Poe’s most celebrated stories. The story has been analyzed to display many different effects; however, the story has everything “a Poe story is supposed to have according to the popular view of him: a gothic house, a terrified narrator, live burial, madness, and horrific catastrophe” (Magill 751). Poe is well known for his ability to master horror and use clever symbolism. The Fall of the House of Usher is the traditional horror story put out by Poe with many underlying allusions all to create a single effect. The Fall of the House of Usher written by Edgar Allen Poe uses reflection and duplication to draw attention to the biggest allusion in this short story, the trinity between the Usher house, Roderick Usher, and the Usher line. “The Fall of the House of Usher is repeated in its entirety at the very end of the story” (Herrmann 36). The title of the story itself helps to foretell the end of the …show more content…

Simply stated by Darrel Abel, “Roderick Usher resembles his house” (Abel 37). The house seems to tie together with Roderick Usher, as if the two were one. The appearances of the house and Roderick Usher share many similarities. Upon approaching the house, the narrator notices that the house is made of gray stones, likewise, upon reencountering his childhood friend, he notices Roderick’s “very pallid” appearance (The Fall 25). The “Web-like softness” of the hair of Roderick Usher and the “fine web-work” on the fungus which hung from the house is one of the mere similarities of the two (The Fall 24, 25). The fungus growing on the house, which is an obvious sign of decay, is mirrored in the image of Usher showing the man’s rapid disintegration. The house fell “sullenly and silently” just as Usher had when he was taken by his sister. Therefore, “Roderick’s Characterization reinforces the

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