The Fall of the House of Usher

A detailed Summary of The Fall of the House of Usher

Death, Decay, and Losing One's Mind: Poe's Use of Foreshadowing in His Description of the Setting in "The Fall of the House of Usher"

In establishing a setting and atmosphere, one hopes to convey truths, create a mood, and possibly foreshadow future events. In his short story, "The Fall of the House of Usher," Edgar Allan Poe extensively describes the house and its vicinity to further enhance the plot. Roderick's illness necessitates that he isolate himself from the outside world. Similarly, a murky tarn separates the house from its surroundings. The large fissure, barely visible to the "scrutinizing observer" (Poe) foreshadows the collapse of the relationship between Roderick and Madeline, along with each of their deaths. By establishing an atmosphere of death and decay, Poe foreshadows the fall of the Usher family as well as the dissipation of Roderick's mental stability.

Poe introduces the reader to the House of Usher on a "dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year" (Poe). As most are likely aware, autumn is the season of death. By simply informing the reader of the time of year, the narrator foreshadows the proceedings to occur later in the story

Poe utilizes his descriptions of the interior of the house as well as the narrator's reading of "Mad Trist" to foreshadow Madeline's return from her early grave. Prior to what is originally thought to be her death, the narrator discusses how the house reminded him of a "neglected vault" and later he mentions how Roderick paintings appear to contain "the interior of an immensely long and rectangular vault or tunnel" (Poe). These two circumstances appear to foreshadow Madeline's escape from her premature tomb, which happened to be "one of the numerous vaults within the main walls of the building" (Poe). More obviously, the wild storm and the noises accompanying the narrator's reading of "Mad Trist" foreshadow the inescapable reunion of Roderick and his sister. Fittingly, the word "trist" or "tryst" actually refers to a fated encounter, giving the reader some insight as to the events that were about to occur.

By describing the house in such detail to the reader, Poe ensures that the similarities among the Ushers and the house in which they live are quite apparent. Womack states, "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 ... destroys the [house of] Usher" (Womack). The murky tar

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Approximate Word count = 922
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English