Short Gothic Novella Story “The Fall of the House of Usher” by American Author Edgar Allan Poe

The Fall of the House of Usher is one of the many books by Poe that sets the idea for Gothic work. Edgar Allan Poe was one of the main founders/authors of Dark Romanticism also known as Gothicism. Dark Romanticism (Gothicism) is the opposite/darkside of Romanticism, many Dark Romantic authors wanted to show the reader the darkness & evil that resides in each one of us.

Throughout this novella there are examples of sin and self-destruction, common elements in Gothic literature. In the story the childhood friend is in shock that he can not recognize the man in front of him to be Roderick Usher. It was with difficulty that I could bring myself to admit the identity of the wan before me with the companion of my early boyhood. The friend starts to see that Rodrick is deeply ill mentally. I soon found this to arise from a series of feeble and futile struggles to overcome an habitual tendency--an excessive nervous agitation, After the death of his sister the friend sees Rodrick as a mere ghost of a human now. The pallor of his countenance had assumed, if possible, a more ghastly hue -- but the luminous of his eye had utterly gone out. These are vivid examples of Gothic elements throughout this book.

There are also Gothic literature examples of human psychological and emotional suffering in this short story.. Roderick Usher is deeply afraid of his servants and doctors that are taking care of him and his sister. The brother had been led to his resolution by consideration of the unusual character of the malady of the deceased, of certain obtrusive and eager inquires on the part of her medical men. Usher tells his friend how he would be overcome with grief once his sister dies being the last Usher of his generation. Her decease, he said, with a bitterness which I could never forget, would leave him the last of the ancient race of Ushers. Rodrick explains to his friend that the house is to be blame for his malady. His family mansion had,an effect which physique of the gray walls and turrets, and of the dim tarn into which they all look down, had at length, brought about upon the morale of his existence. These are other examples of Gothic elements in the book

Throughout this novella there are defining Gothic examples of supernatural & symbolic meaning. An unnatural storm arises out of nowhere late at night outside of the House of Usher. A whirlwind had apparently collected its force in our vicinity ; for there were frequent and violent alterations in the direction of the wind. The story that the friend is reading to Usher to calm him down is happening in real life. No sooner had these syllables passed my lips, than--as if a shield of brass had indeed, at the moment, fallen heavily upon a floor of silver. Towards the end of the story Usher and his friend sees Rodrick's sister has risen from the dead. It was work of the rushing gust--but then without those doors there did stand the lofty and end shrouded figure of the lady Madeline of Usher. These Gothic elements, supernatural and symbolic meaning, are clearly represented in this novella.

In conclusion, The House of Usher is the quintessential of Gothic work. This short story includes all necessary elements for Gothic literature: suffering, death, supernatural, & self-destruction.

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