Fear is a basic element of human emotion that is caused by the expectation or realization of danger. The existence of fear is essential for establishing our beliefs and the actions we take throughout our lives. Edgar Allen Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher is a detailed account of Roderick Usher, the proprietor of the House of Usher, and the dementia and disintegration of his mental state, through the eyes of a nameless child hood friend. Poe suggests in this story that the denial of our fears can lead to madness and insanity.

The story begins on one "...dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year...."(264) From the very beginning, the reader, as a result of Poe's imagery, is aware of a sense of death and decay. Even the narrator, Roderick's childhood companion, describes "a sense of insufferable gloom [which] pervaded [his] spirit"(264) as he approached the House of Usher. The term "House of Usher" refers not only to the crumbling mansion but also to the remaining family members who live within. The rotting mansion, mysterious illnesses, strange sounds at night, and Madeline being buried alive creates an atmosphere of fear and danger. This atmosphere is essent

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Roderick and Madeline Usher are the sole, remaining members of the long, time-honored Usher race. When Madeline dies and is placed in her coffin, the narrator notices "a striking similitude between brother and sister...."(272) At this point Roderick informs the narrator that he and the Lady Madeline had been twins, and that "sympathies of a scarcely intelligible nature had always existed between them."(274) He implies that Roderick and Madeline are so close that they can sense what is happening to each other. Poe treats Madeline and Roderick as if they were identical twins, to show a greater connection between them. This becomes an important aspect in the effect of the story because it explains Roderick's feelings towards her illness and supposed death.

There are three significant characters in this tale: the narrator and Roderick and Madeline Usher. The narrator is a boyhood companion of Roderick Usher. He has not seen Roderick since they were children; however, because of an urgent letter that he received from Roderick which requested his aid, the nameless narrator decides to make the long journey to visit his friend. "...[I]t was the apparent heart that went with his request --which allowed me no room for hesitation...."(264)

The Fall of the House of Usher illustrates that effect depends on tone. Every detail of this story, from the opening description of the dank tarn and the dark rooms of the house to the unearthly storm which accompanies Madeline's return from the tomb, helps to convey the terror that ove

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Approximate Word count = 1081
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)