Blog Entry 13:Fiction Full Draft

Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most extraordinary writers in history. Poe is known for using literature elements, such as symbolism to show the meaning in his literature work. I chose the short story “Fall of the House of Usher”, and with the use of the psychoanalytic and the new critical approach I will analyze this literary work. With the psychoanalytic theory I will analyze the symbols in this short story, what the symbols represent and what Poe is trying to show the readers. With the new critical approach I will focus on the theme of death that Poe used to show the meaning of the story.The poet Edgar Allan Poe was born January 19, 1809 in Boston and died on October 7, 1849 in Baltimore. The story “Fall of the House of Usher” was first published in 1839. Later it was revised and published in 1840.
At the beginning the narrator received a letter from Roderick Usher explaining that he suffered from an illness and he requested the narrator’s company. The narrator decided to visit his close friend, who is emotionally and physically ill. Poe used the words dark and dull in his first sentence, which showed us that this story is mysterious and morbid. Through the whole story the narrator was experiencing something strange in the house of Usher. The narrator observed a bridge across a lake that provided access to the house of Usher. According to the dictionary of symbolism, “bridge” symbolizes passage to reality or from one state to another, also it can be a change or desire for change. The narrator had to cross the bridge from his world to get to this mysterious and evil world.
The lake is right next to the mansion and the whole place seems very spooky to the narrator. According to the dictionary of symbols, the symbol “lake” represents the transition of life and death; as a result with the symbol “lake,” Poe shows the death, which is all around and inside the house. The narrator mentioned that Roderick and his twin sister Madeline were the only ones left from the Usher family. Poe used the word evil when he referred to the house of Usher and there was mystery all around the narrator. Roger and also his sister Madeline suffered from a strange illness, a mental disorder. The physicians believed that Madeline suffered from catalepsy, death-like trances.
Usher and his sister have lived their whole life in this house. According to the dictionary of symbolism, the symbol “house” is the center of the world, what happens inside a house, happens inside ourselves. The house seemed gloomy to the narrator and as well Usher was depressed because his sister was suffering and dying. Also according to the dictionary of symbolism, “house” means security and shelter. In this story Roderick and Madeline have isolated themselves from the whole world; they have no friends no family, only each other inside their big and mysterious house where they feel safe.
The narrator went inside the dark house; he walked through the hall and entered the large room, where the master of the house waited for him. He described the long and narrow windows, the ebon blackness of the floors and the dark draperies over the walls in the house. With this description, the inside of the house was just as spooky as the outside of the house. The narrator entered the large room and Usher greeted him warmly. He noticed that Usher skin was pale and he seemed nervous. For the next couple of days the narrator was reading stories and poems to cheer him up.
One night Usher informed the narrator that his sister Madeline had died and he needed his help to put her dead body in the family tomb within the walls of the house. According to the dictionary of symbolism, the symbol “tomb” symbolizes the imprisonment of the soul within the body. Madeline was still alive when her brother placed her body into the tomb; she was in a state of catalepsy. The narrator noticed the faint blush on Madeline’s face and he wondered if Usher and Madeline were twins.Usher confirmed that they were identical twins, they have been so close and that they can sense what has happened to each other.
Almost a week passed since the Madeline’s body was placed in the vault, when the narrator heard sounds from the storm. He became nervous and his body started to shake. He couldn’t sleep and he started walking around his room. Then Usher came to his room who seemed very upset. Usher opened a window and then the wind rushed in, which almost lifted them from their feet. According to the dictionary of symbolism, the symbol “wind” is the messenger of divine intervention, often represents fleeting and elusive. The whole story had been mysterious and also the death of Madeline had been elusive. The narrator started to read stories to keep Usher calm and together to pass the terrible and mysterious night. According to the dictionary of symbolism, the symbol “night” symbolizes the obscurity and mystery of the darkness with the moon. It is the symbol of unconscious and is represented by sleep and death. The narrator and Usher heard a wild scream, which Usher believed that came from his sister. He believed that she was mad at him and she wasn’t dead, when he placed her body into the tomb. Then the wind opened the door of the room and Madeline was standing there with blood on her white robes. According to the dictionary of symbolism, the symbol “blood” represents life; it is also associated with blood vengeance, blood is tied with passion, death and also with guilt. Usher felt guilty because he had heard her movements in the tomb and he hadn’t dared to speak. Madeline trembled and with a low moaning cry fell upon her brother. Both of them fell down and died. The narrator escaped from the house, he saw a wild light that caused him to turn around, the house with its shadows were behind him and then the house crumbled to the ground. According to the dictionary of symbolism, the symbol “light” is the source of goodness and the ultimate reality, also light is knowledge. The narrator was in a world that was unknown for him and when he left the house of Usher, he went back to his real world.
Work Cited:
Biederman, Hans. “Dictionary of symbolism.” University of Michigan Fantasy and Science Fiction Website. 2001. Web. 23 May 2010
http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/
“Fall of the House of Usher” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 23 May 2010
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fall_of_the_House_of_Usher
Giordano, Robert. "The Fall of the House of Usher" 27 June 2005. Web. 23 May 2010
http://poestories.com/read/houseofusher

Blog Entry 12

For my chosen story “Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe I will use the psychoanalytic approach. The psychoanalytic theory has been developed by different psychologists, such as Freud and Jung. But this theory can be used to analyze a literary work, for example poems and stories. With this psychoanalytic theory I will analyze Poe’s life. Also I will analyze the characters in this short story and I will explain their behavior. The characters in the “Fall of the House of Usher” are the narrator, the narrator’s friend Roderick Usher and Usher’s twin sister Madeline. With the psychoanalytic theory I will analyze the symbols in this short story, what the symbols represent and what the author is trying to show the readers. Also I will use the New Critical approach, focusing on the theme to show the meaning of the short story. In this story the narrator receives a letter from his friend Roderick Usher. In the letter Usher explains that he is suffering from a strange illness. Then the narrator goes to Usher’s house and finds out that not only Usher is sick, but his sister Madeline is sick too. After a while Madeline dies and Usher decides to put her body in the family tomb. The narrator helps Usher to put Madeline’s body in the family tomb, which will stay in the tomb for two weeks. After two weeks her body will be permanently buried at the cemeteries. After couple of days a storm begins, and Usher gets very upset. The old house starts to make noises; then the narrator tries to keep Usher calm by reading him stories. But Usher is convinced that the noises in the house are coming from his sister and that she is mad at him, because he buried her. Then Madeline shows up at the door, she enters the room and falls down in Usher‘s arms. Usher also dies and both of them fall down. The narrator escapes from the house. While the narrator is running he turns around and sees the house of Usher shaking and crumbling down.

Blog Entry 11:My chosen story

For my final project I chose the short story "Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe.The entry of Wikipedia is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fall_of_the_House_of_Usher
The approach that I will use to tell this story better is the Psychoanalytic critisicm.
According to Wikipedia "Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story published in 1839. In this story the narrator goes to visit his friend Roderick Usher. Usher suffers from a strange illness and he sends a letter to the narator. The narattors goes to his house and finds out that Usher's twin sister Madeline is also sick. Then wneh Madeline dies, the narrator helps Usher to put her body in the family tomb. After two week in the family tomb she will be permanently burried.After they burried her, a storm beggins. The narators reads story to Usher to keep him calm, but then the house starts to make noices. Usher says to his friend that the sounds are coming from his sister.Then Madeline shows up at the door and she falls on Usher. Both of them fall and the house starts to shake. At the end the narrator escapes and the House of Usher crumbles.
http://poestories.com/read/houseofusher
Image: http://www.gallerynucleus.com/item/image0/7094/7irq9u/silawest_stuttle_HouseofUsherSmall500.jpg

Blog Entry 10: Reflection

In the last few weeks we learned about the term Monomyth or Hero’s Quest. After watching the film Spirited Away and reading the Monomyth on Wikipedia I was able to identify the elements in the movie that I chose, Clash of the Titans. Joseph Campbell described the seventeen stages of the Monomyth, which applies to any story about heroes. The hero in the monomyth has to go through different stages, such as departure, initiation and return. On the journey, the heroes in every film have to go through tests and trials and at the end, accomplish the goal. Knowing the elements of the Monomyth is very helpful when I need to understand the meaning of a story or a film.

Blog 9: Hero’s Quest and Film Part 2

In the film Clash of the Titans is shown the adventure of the Greek hero Perseus, son of the King of Gods, Zeus. One of the parts of the Monomyth is that every hero is reluctant and he is called by an outside force to take the journey. In the Clash of the Titans, Perseus is called by the goddess Thetis. King Acrisius imprisons his daughter Danae to avoid a prophecy. Zeus impregnates Danae and after her father discovers this, he places Danae and her newborn son Perseus in a coffin, and throws the coffin into the sea. Zeus kills King Acrisius and orders his brother, the god of the sea, Poseidon, to release the monster Kraken. The Kraken destroys the city of Argos, and Danae with her son arrives on an island.
Departure: The important part of the Hero’s Quest is that the hero has to take the journey to accomplish the goal. Perseus answers the call from the goddess and he goes on the adventure. The son of Zeus and goddess Thetis, Calibos, is destined to marry the Princess Andromeda of the city Joppa. Calibos destroys Zeus’s herd of flying horses, as a result Zeus punishes Calibos, and turns him into a satyr creature that has to live in the swamps. Calibos’s mother Thetis is very angry at Zeus and she imprisons Princess Andromeda’s soul. Everyone who wants to marry Andromeda has to answer a riddle. The first call for adventure is when Thesis moves Perseus to Joppa. This is when he crosses into the adventure and he accepts his destiny because he stays in Joppa. Zeus provides Perseus with gifts made from the gods which will help him in his journey. The talismans that he receives are a sword, a shield and a helmet, which makes him invisible. According to the Dictionary of symbolism “sword” symbolizes power, strength and protection. The sword is given to Perseus to defeat Medusa. The first threshold that the hero passes is when he goes to Andromeda’s room, while she is sleeping. Perseus sees her and falls in love, he knows that she is his destiny. He wants to fulfill his destiny, to save Andromeda and to marry her. But first he will have to find the answer of the riddle. Pegasus needs help and he captures the flying horse Pegasus. According to the Dictionary of symbolism “horse” is a maternal archetype, symbolizes strength, sensitivity, anger and stubbornness. In the film, the color of Pegasus is white, which symbolizes innocence and spirituality, also sign of death. With the help of Pegasus, Perseus follows Andromeda’s soul. Then the hero finds himself in the Belly of whale, he is in a swamp with monsters and the satyr who rules there. Perseus can’t get away, his only choice is to stay and fight with the monster Calibos. The hero brakes through, he slashes Calibos’s hand, and obtains the hand, but he loses his helmet in the swamp. The ring on the hand is the answer of the riddle. He went to Joppa and he answered correctly, then Andromeda’s soul was free and he could marry her. But Calibos is angry and wants revenge. His mother Thetis wants to destroy Joppa, to revenge her son’s destiny and she makes a demand to sacrifice Andromeda to the Kraken.
Initiation: There is more than one call to action. The goddess Thetis makes Perseus to go on another journey. Perseus continues his journey; he has to find a way to defeat the Kraken. This is when his adventure continues and he has to go on the road of trials. At first Perseus has to find the three blind women with the eye. Perseus has to go through several tests to be able to save Andromeda. Because Perseus loses his helmet, Zeus orders Athena to provide him with another talisman, the owl Bubo. But Athena doesn’t want to be separated from her friend Bubo; as a result she gives Perseus an automatic copy of Bubo. Then Bubo leads Perseus and his men to the three women. They tell him that the only way to defeat the Kraken is to capture the monster Medusa, and use her head. Medusa is punished by the goddess Aphrodite; every being that looks in her eyes she can turn him into stone. Perseus with the answer goes to the border of the Underworld to find Medusa. Another task that Perseus has to go through is to defeat the guardian of Medusa, the dog with two heads. Perseus with the shield defeats Medusa and takes her head. From Medusa’s blood he loses his shield, also two of his men died. Calibos is still angry at Perseus, he stabs Medusa’s head, and her blood produces giant scorpions. After Perseus and his men kill all of the scorpions, Perseus kills Calibos. Perseus begins his journey to capture Medusa’s head. He now accomplishes his goal, which is the ultimate boon and he becomes enhanced hero. As is typical in Hero’s Quest the hero becomes a more developed character after accomplishing his goal.
Return: Another aspect of the Monomyth, is that the hero has the triumphant return. The owl Bubo flies into the swamp and finds Pegasus, who is captured by Calibos. Bubo frees Pegasus, and together they went back to Perseus. Then Perseus goes on a magic flight with the flying horse Pegasus. He is able to come back on time in Joppa to save Andromeda. When Perseus comes near to the ocean, the Kraken pushes Pegasus, and both of them Perseus and Pegasus fall into the ocean. Perseus loses Medusa’s head, but with the help of the owl Bubo, Perseus takes back and exposes the head of Medusa. Then the Kraken turns into stone and crumples into the ocean. Perseus accomplishes the goal of his quest; he saves Andromeda and fulfils his destiny. His destiny is to be forever with Andromeda. The gods placed Perseus and Andromeda as stars to remind the humans of their heroism.
Having an understanding of the characteristics of the Monomyth, makes this film more interesting, because one can compare it to any story about heroes. Stories from any culture, which shows there is a universal idea of what is needed for a Hero’s Quest to be exciting and fulfilling. Every human being has to go on the journey to accomplish the goal, fulfill their destiny and become a superior person.

Work cited:
Biederman, Hans. “Dictionary of symbolism.” University of Michigan Fantasy and Science Fiction Website. 2001. Web. 2 May 2010
http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/
“Clash of the Titans” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 2 May 2010
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clash_of_the_Titans_(1981_film)
“Monomyth” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 2 May 2010
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomyth