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