The Fall of the House of Usher

Question

Edgar Allan Poe

1 Shaking off from my spirit what must have been a dream, I scanned more narrowly the real aspect of the building. Its principal feature seemed to be that of an excessive antiquity. The discoloration of ages had been great. Minute fungi overspread the whole exterior, hanging in a fine tangled web-work from the eaves. Yet all this was apart from any extraordinary dilapidation. No portion of the masonry had fallen; and there appeared to be a wild inconsistency between its still perfect adaptation of parts, and the crumbling condition of the individual stones. In this there was much that reminded me of the specious totality of old wood-work which has rotted for long years in some neglected vault, with no disturbance from the breath of the external air. Beyond this indication of extensive decay, however, the fabric gave little token of instability. Perhaps the eye of a scrutinizing observer might have discovered a barely perceptible fissure, which, extending from the roof of the building in front, made its way down the wall in a zigzag direction, until it became lost in the sullen waters of the tarn.

2 Noticing these things, I rode over a short causeway to the house. A servant in waiting took my horse, and I entered the Gothic archway of the hall. A valet, of stealthy step, thence conducted me, in silence, through many dark and intricate passages in my progress to the studio of his master. Much that I encountered on the way contributed, I know not how, to heighten the vague sentiments of which I have already spoken. While the objects around me—while the carvings of the ceilings, the sombre tapestries of the walls, the ebon blackness of the floors, and the phantasmagoric armorial trophies which rattled as I strode, were but matters to which, or to such as which, I had been accustomed from my infancy—while I hesitated not to acknowledge how familiar was all this—I still wondered to find how unfamiliar were the fancies which ordinary images were stirring up. On one of the staircases, I met the physician of the family. His countenance, I thought, wore a mingled expression of low cunning and perplexity. He accosted me with trepidation and passed on. The valet now threw open a door and ushered me into the presence of his master.

3 The room in which I found myself was very large and lofty. The windows were long, narrow, and pointed, and at so vast a distance from the black oaken floor as to be altogether inaccessible from within. Feeble gleams of encrimsoned light made their way through the trellised panes, and served to render sufficiently distinct the more prominent objects around; the eye, however, struggled in vain to reach the remoter angles of the chamber, or the recesses of the vaulted and fretted ceiling. Dark draperies hung upon the walls. The general furniture was profuse, comfortless, antique, and tattered. Many books and musical instruments lay scattered about, but failed to give any vitality to the scene. I felt that I breathed an atmosphere of sorrow. An air of stern, deep, and irredeemable gloom hung over and pervaded all.

Answer 1

In Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Fall of the House of Usher," the atmosphere of desolation and decay is vividly established through the narrator's observations of the titular mansion. The detailed descriptions evoke a sense of unease that complements the overarching themes of madness, death, and the supernatural.

1. Antiquity and Decay: The narrator begins by scrutinizing the mansion, noting its "excessive antiquity" and "discoloration of ages." The appearance of fungi and the crumbling condition juxtaposes with the structural integrity of the building, creating a sense of mystery about the nature of the Usher family's lineage and circumstances. This intricate description also establishes a connection between the physical structure and the psychological state of its inhabitants—implying that the rot of the house mirrors the decline of the Usher family.

2. Intricate Passages: As the narrator is led by the valet through "dark and intricate passages," the disorienting journey evokes feelings of apprehension and raises questions about the nature of the house's interior. Encountering the family physician, whose expression reflects "low cunning and perplexity," adds to the sense that something is deeply amiss. The atmosphere remains charged with tension, suggesting that the mansion holds secrets that may be better left undiscovered.

3. The Chamber's Desolation: Upon entering the studio of Roderick Usher, the narrator describes the dramatic architecture—long, pointed windows that seem to isolate the occupants from the outside world. The "encrimsoned light" filtering through the trellised panes enhances the eerie quality of the room, while its "profuse, comfortless, antique, and tattered" furnishings contribute to an oppressive sense of sorrow. This environment acts as a physical representation of the characters' inner turmoil. The pervasive gloom cannot be escaped, symbolizing the inescapable nature of fate and the weight of family legacy.

Together, these elements encapsulate the themes of isolation, the passage of time, and the inextricable link between environment and madness that define "The Fall of the House of Usher." The house itself becomes a character—one that embodies the decay of the Usher lineage, reflecting both their physical and psychological demise.