Mockery of Transcendentalism in The Fall of the House of Usher

A detailed Summary of Mockery of Transcendentalism in The Fall of the House of Usher

Edgar Allan Poe's Mockery of Transcendentalism in

Throughout the development of our culture there have been a large number of literary movements. From existentialism to naturalism, humanism to surrealism, they all play an important role in the development of the literature we read today. One important movement during the nineteenth century is known as the transcendentalist movement. Transcendentalism is a form of idealism. In philosophy and literature, it is the belief in a higher reality than that found in sense experience or in a higher kind of knowledge than that achieved by human reason. Nearly all transcendentalist doctrines stem from the division of reality into a realm of spirit and a realm of matter. This movement influenced many great writers such as Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Edgar Allan Poe. While Thoreau and Emerson upheld the beliefs of transcendentalism in nearly all of their works, Poe criticizes those beliefs. This is strongly displayed in his short story "The Fall of the House of Usher."

Poe mocks transcendentalism in many different ways throughout "The Fall of the House of Usher." Rather than the traditional upward spiral, which is very character

The nameless narrator, while we know very little of him, helps to portray Poe's disinclination towards this literary movement. The narrator goes back to a familiar childhood house, yet does not feel comfortable there. The lack of familiarity and discomfort felt by the narrator contradict transcendentalist views of compassion and warmth. One of the major beliefs of the transcendentalists is not to dwell in the past. They believe you should value the present, the 'here and now'. The narrator attempts to relive his childhood, going against that important tenant of transcendentalism. Roderick brings the narrator to the house in the hopes of cheering him up but, in reality, the narrator attempts to change Roderick's life. The narrator meddles with Roderick's soul, contracting accepted transcendentalist beliefs that reform must not be emphasized. Transcendentalists believe that change must come from within, therefore any effort from an external source to change someone will be proven fruitless.

Not only is the atmosphere dreary, the actual house is full of despondent features. As the narrator approaches the house he feels "a sense of insufferable gloom pervading [his] spirit"(95). The term melancholy is used as an adjective to describe the house. The house is covered in fungi and the masonry is decaying. The windows are described as "vacant" and "eye-like". There is a barely visible fissure in the house that runs from top to bottom indicating that it is fated to fall. The house is sometimes referred to as being haunted. As the narrator lies in his bed one evening a feeling of nervousness overcomes his body. He believes that the environment of his room has a strong contribution to his uneasiness. The story states that "...the bewildering influence of the gloomy furniture of the room-of the dark and tattered draperies..." leads to the narrator's sleepless night (107). All of these features are contradictory to what transcendentalists would believe. The setting and house are described with a strong negative aspect that is n

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Approximate Word count = 1380
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English