House Of Usher

3 Pages 667 Words

In the short story, The Fall of the House of Usher, the famous author Edgar Alan Poe writes about a man with a dreadful illness living in a gloomy house. There are three main characters: the narrator, Roderick and Lady Madeline Usher. Poe mentions little about the narrator who is a childhood friend of Roderick. Roderick Usher and Madeline Usher are brother and sister and the two sole survivors of the House of Usher.
The story begins with the nameless narrator explaining his reason for coming to see his childhood friend Roderick. Roderick has grown very sick over the past few years and so has his sister Lady Madeline. Their physical and mental conditions have deteriorated dramatically along with the condition of the mansion in which they live. It is mentioned that even though the structure of the house was still intact, it was surrounded by decaying trees and murky ponds. Upon careful inspection, a crack starting at the roof and going down into the ground could be seen. The Usher household, once a respectable family, now was disappearing into the ruins.
The narrator had not seen Roderick since their childhood days. However, the letter that Roderick writes to his friend is so passionate that his friend cannot resist coming to help. Roderick writes with his heart and soul that he is in a very poor physical condition and that he needs the help of a friend to help him recover. In the hopes of being able to help Roderick, his friend ends up coming to see him. As he enters the Usher mansion, he discovers that the inside of the house is just as spooky as the outside of not more. Furthermore, there is not a single sign of light in the house. Even a faint glow hurts Roderick’s eyes. It is said that Roderick’s disease is of the ‘acuteness of senses’. This meaning that his senses do not work correctly. He can only wear clothes of certain textures and is hears strange sounds sometimes through his ears.
As Roderick Ushe...