After only three years of life, Edgar Allan Poe's parents, who were both touring actors, died. Afterwards, he was taken in by a wealthy merchant in Virginia named John Allan (Brient 121). Poe led an uneventful childhood; he studied in England for a time only to come back to the United States for college. He attended the University of Virginia for only a year. Due to gambling debts, Poe was forced to leave the University, and joined the armed forces. It was at this time where Poe wrote his first book,

It is possible that the personality of Roderick is in some way related Edgar Allan Poe's. When reflecting the story, Roderick is without a large family. The only family he has is his aunt Clemm and Virginia. Virginia, however, was the only one of the two that was actually close to Poe. The death of Virginia may have been linked to the death of Madeline. The loss of Virginia in Poe's life was devastating, one of the points during his life where he turned to drinking to solve his problems. Madeline can also be associated with one of the main themes typical of a gothic theme, premature burial. In the story, when Roderick is convinced he is hearing noises, he immediately attributes these noises to Madeline. It is his belief that Madeline was buried alive and she her spirit was seeking revenge on him and his friend (www.poedecoder.com). This theme dates back to Egyptian times where it was believed to be an Egyptian tradition to bury the damned alive. Poe seemed to have an interest in the mysteries of Ancient Egypt, which can be attributed to the fact that Hieroglyphics were first interpreted near his lifetime (Breint 56-58).

In "The Fall of the House of Usher, " Roderick, a sickly man, and his sister, Madeline, live in a mansion that their family has lived in for many years. They are both terminally ill since they were conceived due to incest. With this knowledge, Roderick calls on his best friend who remains nameless throughout the tale. Upon arrival, his friend consoles him reading him stories and other activities to occupy Roderick's mind. After a time, Madeline dies and is buried in an outdoor tomb. One night, while Roderick's friend is reading him a story a mysterious sound is heard from within the mansion. The two are terribly frightened and panic as a result. Finally, the ghost of Madeline appears in the doorway and claims the life of Roderick. The friend flees from the mansion out of sheer fear and leaves the mansion. While riding away on his horse he looks back to find that the mansion had exploded and crumbled to the ground (Poe 244-268).

"Tamerlane and other Poems" (1827). After being thrown from the army due to disobedience of orders, Poe took up residence in Baltimore with his aunt, Maria Clemm. In order to support himself, Poe wrote fictional works. Among them was Berenice, which is considered one of his best horror tales. During this time of his life is when Poe was recognized as a gifted critic, which he was, and not yet a great author. These critiques were published in magazine called The Mes

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Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)