The Fall of the House of Usher: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe that explores themes of madness, isolation, and the decay of both the mind and the physical world. The narrative centers around three major characters: Roderick Usher, his twin sister Madeline, and the unnamed narrator who visits the Usher family home. Roderick is depicted as a deeply introverted and troubled individual, suffering from a hereditary decline due to inbreeding within his family. His physical appearance reflects his fragile mental state, characterized by a cadaverous complexion and inconsistent behavior that swings from elation to despair.
Madeline, Roderick's sister, presents a haunting figure, succumbing to catalepsy and ultimately being buried alive. Her return from the grave serves as a climactic moment in the story, symbolizing the inescapable ties of family and the tragic fate of the Ushers. The narrator, who attempts to provide companionship and solace, becomes increasingly unsettled by the oppressive atmosphere of the Usher residence. The story culminates with the deaths of both Roderick and Madeline, leading to the literal and metaphorical collapse of the House of Usher, reflecting the intertwined destinies of the characters and the decay of their lineage. This analysis invites readers to delve deeper into the psychological and thematic complexities of Poe's work.
The Fall of the House of Usher: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Edgar Allan Poe
First published: 1839
Genre: Short fiction
Locale: The House of Usher
Plot: Gothic
Time: Nineteenth century
Roderick Usher, a madman. Excessively reserved in childhood and thereafter, Usher is the victim not only of his own introversion but also of the dry rot in his family, which because of inbreeding has long lacked the healthy infusion of vigorous blood from other families. His complexion is cadaverous, his eyes are lustrous, his nose is “of a delicate Hebrew model,” his chin is small and weak though finely molded, his forehead broad, and his hair soft and weblike. (The detailed description of Usher's face and head in the story should be compared with the well-known portraits of Poe himself.) In manner Usher is inconsistent, shifting from excited or frantic vivacity to sullenness marked by dull, guttural talk like that of a drunkard or opium addict. It is evident to his visitor, both through his own observation and through what Usher tells him, that the wretched man is struggling desperately but vainly to conquer his fear of fear itself. His wide reading in his extensive library, his interest in many art objects, his playing the guitar and singing to its accompaniment, his attempts at conversation and friendly communication with his guest—all seem piteous efforts to hold on to his sanity. The battle is finally lost when Madeline, risen from her grave and entering through the doors of the guest's apartment, falls upon Usher and bears him to the floor “a corpse, and a victim to the terrors he had anticipated.”
Madeline, his twin sister, a tall, white-robed, wraithlike woman who succumbs to catalepsy, is buried alive, escapes from her tomb, confronts her brother in her bloodstained cerements, and joins him in death.
The narrator, Usher's visitor and only personal friend. He is summoned to try to cheer up Usher but is himself made fearful and nervously excited by the gloomy, portentous atmosphere of the Usher home. Having witnessed the double deaths of Usher and Madeline, the narrator flees in terror and, looking back, sees the broken mansion fall into the tarn below.