Corruption Of Society In Edgar Allan Poe And Ralph Waldo Emerson

753 Words4 Pages
For all difference ages and times social norms have been around and for all those ages and times they have been people that were rejected from society or opt to isolate themselves from society. Both Edgar Allan Poe and Ralph Waldo Emerson both portray the negative aspects of society and how it limits the individual through different uses conflict and foreshadowing in their works. The main difference between both authors is the way they interpret corruption of society. Poe and Emerson use conflict to portray society as being horrible and merciless in all their aspects. Both authors use a different type of conflict to interpret the effects of society. For example in “Fall . he house of Usher,” Edgar Allan Poe demonstrates that the main character Roderick has been in a consistent isolation since his early years, after society abandons him. Roderick is influenced by the negativity of society which leads him to respond negatively. “I shall perish, said he, I must perish in this deplorable folly. Thus, thus, and not otherwise, shall I be lost. I dread the events of the future, not in themselves, but in their results”(117-180) In this quote he his referring to the fact that he would rather die than live deprived society as he sees it coming. Poe does not kow to interpret society corruption and falls into the dark and negative way of acting and making decisions. Poe Uses internal conflict to portray the bigger image that is happening inside of Roderick’s mind but he still