In "The Fall of the House of Usher," the author immediately evokes a sense of dread by portraying a dark and eerie setting. The narrator introspectively questions, "What was it, I asked myself, what was so fearful, so frightening in my view of the House of Usher?"
In contrast, "House Taken Over" begins with a seemingly normal life, where the characters engage in everyday activities like cleaning, eating, sleeping, and pursuing their hobbies. As the story progresses, an unsettling atmosphere emerges, yet the characters behave as if everything is normal, heightening the tension. For example, one character drops her knitting and looks at the other with serious eyes, asking, “You’re sure?” After receiving confirmation, she resumes her knitting, saying, “In that case, we’ll have to live on this side.” The careful way the narrator sips his mate while she leisurely continues her work underscores the juxtaposition of normalcy and creeping unease. The gray vest she knits becomes a symbol of their shared, yet increasingly disrupted, routine.