Introduction文档格式.docx

Introduction文档格式.docx

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laterevolvedintotheliterarymovementofAestheticismwhicheschewedthesymbolicandpreachyliteratureoftheday—especiallyinEngland—inanattempttoovercomestrictVictorianconventions.Becauseofhisemphasisonstyleandlanguage,Poeproclaimedhiswritingareactiontotypicalliteratureoftheday,whichhecalled"

theheresyoftheDidactic"

foritstendencytopreach,CondemnedbysomecriticsforitstendenciestowardRomanticism,aliterarymovementmarkedbymelodramaticandmaudlinexaggerations,"

TheFalloftheHouseofUsher"

wasneverthelesstypicalofPoe'

sshortstoriesinthatitpresentsanarratorthrustintoapsychologicallyintensesituationinwhichotherworldlyforcesconspiretodriveatleastoneofthecharactersinsane。

Overview

isoneofPoe'

smostpopularshortstories.

Moreover,analyzingthisstoryprovidesabasisforunderstandingPoe'

sgothicismandhisliterarytheories.AsinallofPoe'

sshortstories,"

concentratesona"

singleeffect"

—inthiscase,thedegenerationanddecayoftheUsherhouseandfamily.Inthestory'

sopening,forexample,thenarratorcommentsuponthe"

insufferablegloom"

thatpervadeshisbeingashenoticesthe"

fewranksedges,"

the"

whitetrunksofdecayedtrees,"

theunruffledlusterofthe"

blackandluridtarn,"

andthehouse'

svacant"

eye-likewindows."

Auther

Characters

Narrator

TheunnamednarratorofthestoryisdescribedasachildhoodfriendofRodenckUsher'

s.However,thenarratornotesthathedoesnotknowRoderickverywellbecauseRoderick'

s"

reservehadalwaysbeenexcessiveandhabitual."

ThenarratorvisitstheUsherfamilyhouseafterRodericksendshimanemotionalletterbegginghimtocome.Whileheseemsskepticalofthesupernaturalandtriestofindrationalexplanationsforthedisconcertingthingshappeningaroundhim,thenarratorfindshimselfgrowingincreasinglydisturbedbythehouseandtheUshers.Attheendofthestory,whenbothRoderickandMadelinedie,hefleesandwatchesthehousecrumbleandfallintoasmalllake.Thenarratorhasbeendescribedasanobjectivewitnesstotheeventsinthestory,withsomesuggestingherepresentsrationality.

Setting

Withtheexceptionof"

TheGoldBug"

and"

MurdersintheRueMorgue,"

Poe'

ssettingsareusuallyremoteintimeandspace,enhancingthestory'

smysteryandother-worldliness."

hasnodefinitesettingexceptforthe"

singularlydrearytractofcountry"

throughwhichthenarratormusttraveltoreachtheHouseofUsher.

SuitsofarmorandsubterraneandungeonstendtosuggestaEuropeanratherthananAmericanlocale,butthesedetailswereestablishedtrappingsofthe.....

LiteraryQualities

Poe'

sliteraryskillisreadilyapparentin"

andoneofhismostvividtechniquesisthestory'

stone.Poechoosesdetailsthathighlighttheterrorofnearmadness,prematureburial,anddeathanddestruction.ForemostishisdescriptionofthegloomyUsherhouse,andthefissurethatseemstoextendfromthehouse'

srooftothe"

sullenwatersofthetarn."

Equallyimportantinsettingthetoneistheviolentstormonanightthatis"

singularinitsterrorandbeauty."

Thethundercrashes,thelightningboltsflash,andthewindhowlsasMadelinemakesherwayfromthetombtothedoorofRoderick'

sstudy.Roderick'

sandMadeline'

sdeathsarefurtherheightenedasthenarratornotesthatthe"

blood-redmoon...nowshonevividly.....

Themes

ThesetopicsconcernthegeneralworksofEdgarAllanPoe.

SanityandInsanity

Poeusesthethemeofinsanityvs.insanity,andallthenuancesinbetween,inmanyofhisshortstories,oftencharginghisinsanenarratorswiththefutiletaskofprovingthattheyarenotmad.Often,instoriessuchasTheTell-TaleHeartandTheImpofthePerverse,thoughtherespectivenarratorsofeachclaimtheyareofsoundmindandseemcompletelyunremorseful,theyaredriventoconfessbyapersistentreminderoftheircrime.Inothertales,suchasTheCaskofAmontillado,thenarratorisunquestionablyinsane,andyetthereisnoremorseandnoconfession,andthoughhisactionsareinsane,heisverylevelheadedwhenitcomestotheirexecution.

Style

PointofView

Toldfromthepointofviewofanunnamedfirst-personnarrator,thisstorydoesnotusetheunreliablenarratortechniquetoexposeunbelievableorhorrificevents.Instead,thenarratorismoreofanobserveratfirst,bringingthereaderalongasheencountersthegloomanddesperationofboththeHouseofUsheranditsinhabitants.Ashestaysinthehouse,heisdrawndeeperintothespellofthehouseandhisnervousnessincreases,asdoesthereader'

s.

Setinthedreary,woefulHouseofUsher,muchofthisstory'

stoneandfeelingofclaustrophobicnervousnesscomesfromitssettings.TheactiontakesplacesolelyinthehouseinwhichtheUshershavesustainedtheirillnessesofbodyandmind,andtheseclosequartersseemtoaffectallwhocomein.....

HistoricalContext

wasfirstpublishedin1839inBurton'

sGentleman'

sMagazine.Atatimewhenmostpopularliteraturewashighlymoralistic,Poe'

sstorieswereconcernedonlywithcreatingemotionaleffects.Poechargedthatmostofhiscontemporarieswere"

didactic,"

thatis,theywerepreoccupiedwithmakingreligiousorpoliticalstatementsintheirwritingstothedetrimentofthefictionitself.Hisowntalesofterror,inwhichheoftendepictedthepsychologicaldisintegrationofunstableoremotionallyoverwroughtcharacters,wereinsharpcontrasttotheworksofmorehighlypraisedwritersofthetime.BecauseofPoe'

sdisdainfordidacticwriting,hewaslittleregardedbytheliteraryestablishmentinhisday.

Plot

TheNarratorhadreceivedaletterfromaboyhoodacquaintance,RoderickUsher,beggingthathecometohim"

posthaste."

Usherhadwrittentoexplainthathewassufferingfromaterriblementalandbodilyillness,andlongedforthecompanionshipof"

hisonlypersonalfriend."

ThepleaseemedsoheartfeltthattheNarratorimmediatelysetoutfortheUsherancestralhome.

Approachingtheivy-covered,decayingoldhouse,theNarratorwasstruckbyanoverwhelmingsenseofgloomwhichseemedtoenveloptheestate.Theverysightofthemanorcausedwithinhim"

anillness,asickeningoftheheart,anunredeemeddreariness."

Buteventhoughthe"

eye-like"

windowsofthemansionseemedtobestaringathim,hemanagedtoswallowhisfearandcontinueinhiscarriageupthepathtothedoor.Asherode,hetriedtorecallRoderickUsherashehadonceknownhim;

yearshadpassedsincetheyhadlastmet.Herememberedhisoldfriendasanextremelyreservedfellow,quitehandsomebutpossessinganeerie,morbiddemeanor.Roderick'

sfamilywasnotedforitsparticularmusicalgenius-andforthefactthatnonewbranchofthefamilyhadeverbeengenerated.Forcenturies,thetitleoftheestatehadpasseddirectlyfromfathertoson,sothattheterm"

HouseofUsher"

hadcometoreferbothtothefamilyandtothemansion.Sadly,though,RoderickwasthelastsurvivingmaleissueoftheUsherclan.

Finally,thecarriagecrossedoverthecreakingmoatbridgetothedoor,andaservantadmittedtheNarrator.HewasledthroughintricatepassagewaysandpasthungarmoredtrophiestoRoderickUsher'

sinnerchamber,asorrowfulroomwheresunlighthadneverentered.

Usherhimselflookedequallyshutin,almostterrifying:

pallidskinlikethatofacorpse,lustrouseyes,andlonghairthatseemedtofloatabouthishead.Moreover,hewasplaguedbyakindofsullen,intense,nervousagitation,similartothatofadrug-addictexperiencingwithdrawal.Thelistofhiscomplaintswasdismaying:

Hesufferedmuchfromamorbidacutenessofthesenses;

themostinsipidfoodwasaloneendurable;

hecouldwearonlygarmentsofacertaintexture;

theodorsofallflowerswereoppressive;

hiseyesweretorturedevenbyfaintlight;

andtherewerebutpeculiarsounds,andthesefromstringedinstruments,whichdidnotinspirehimwithhorror.

ButUsherwasn'

taloneinthehousetheNarratorcaughtafleetingglimpseofhisfriend'

stwinsister,Madeline,whoboreanastonishingresemblancetoRoderick.Additionally,itbecameevidentthatthebrotherandsistersharedaneerie,almostsupernatural,sympatheticbond.RoderickcouldsensejustwhatMadelinewasfeeling,andsheinturncouldreadhiseverythought.Pathetically,though,belovedMadelinewasgrievouslyill,a"

gradualwastingawayoftheperson"

thatwasbeyondthepowersofphysicianstocure.OntheverynightoftheNarrator'

sarrival,Madelinewasconfinedtobed;

heneveragainsawheralive.

ForweekstheNarratortriedtodistracthisdepressedfriend.Theytalked,painted,andreadtogether.Usherhimselfevenplayedtheguitar.Onceheimprovisedawildlyhorribleballadaboutanoblecastleinvadedbydemons-asongwhichfinallyconvincedtheNarratorthatUsherhadgonemad.Duringthistime,thetwoformerschoolmatesdiscussedtheiropinionsonvariousmatters.Onediscussi