Setting in the Fall of the House

¶ … Setting in the Fall of the House of Usher

In many of Poe's stories and poems, setting is one of the most important elements used by the author. Poe possessed an uncanny ability to paint a gloomy and supernatural picture in the minds of his readers. Many critics believe that the reason for his use of gloom and despair was to make his readers understand the correlation between darkness and death.

Setting is one of the most important elements in Poe's short story, "The Fall of the House of Usher." His use of setting reveals early in the story that both the Usher family and the Usher mansion are decaying from the inside out. The reader can immediately identify with the setting, as it sits on the verge of collapse.

When the narrator first approaches the House of Usher, where he is visiting to comfort his old friend, Roderick Usher, he sees a rotten pool of water. He hesitates, reflecting on his reasons for coming to the dark, gloomy house. The narrator reveals that Roderick is suffering from mental depression and asked his old friend to visit him to cheer him up.

The narrator, at this point, looks into the pool of water, seeing the reversed image of the house. The contours of his own image are superimposed upon the house, giving it the appearance of face. In this clever passage, Poe makes the reader feel as though the house is alive.

Power's human characteristics when describing the house gives the story a supernatural feel. When interpreting the story, author Frank N. Magill writes, "Usher feels that it is the form and substance of his family mansion that affects his morale. He believes that, as a result of the arrangement of the stones, the house has taken on life" (p. 1645).

From the moment he sets foot in the house to the end of the story, the narrator experiences a heightening of fear, dread and despair associated with the huge house and its occupants.

Upon looking at the decrepit house, the narrator describes "a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit" (Perkins, 1511). While he tries to rationalize what he is seeing, the narrator senses the supernatural, stating, "about the whole mansion and domain there hung an atmosphere peculiar to themselves and their immediate vicinity" (Perkins, p. 1513).

One of the major themes surrounding Poe's tale is the theme of the house itself. Poe's language is extremely powerful as he creates the setting of the house. The reader, from the start, feels as if he is entering an eerie and mysterious place

When describing the nature of the house, Poe reveals the nature of those who live in the house. The main characters of the story share a common bond. Poe portrays the characters as having many similarities. However, the similarities seem to render them doomed from the start.

At the start of Poe's story, he paints a picture of negativity, particularly when he is describing the setting. When introducing the reader to the house, he uses words and phrases like "insufferable gloom," "vacant," "black and lurid," as well as many other negative terms. He is obviously hinting to the reader that the story will not be a cheerful or happy one.

In addition, Poe describes how the house possesses a "wild inconsistency" and how every individual stone is starting to decay. The house is falling apart, he insinuates, hinting that it may soon be destroyed.

Poe's tone, when discussing the setting of the story, is very gothic. His words set the mood perfectly for what will happen in the story. The reader, from the beginning, is aware that something terrible is about to take place.

Poe's description of the setting presents a strong correlation between the house and its two occupants, Roderick and Lady Madeline. The narrator of the story greets his old friend Roderick, and describes him as corpse-like. Like the house, Roderick seems to be falling apart.

Roderick explains his appearance to the narrator, revealing that he had an illness that was a "morbid acuteness of the senses." Once again, Poe uses the word "morbid," setting the stage for gloom and despair. However, the author does not stop there. Roderick continues to describe his condition, revealing that his eyes are tortured by light and he cannot withstand the slightest sounds.

If the reader takes the time to think about what sort of condition Poe is describing, it is truly an unbearable condition. However, Poe is just building up to the worst-case scenario by introducing Roderick first.

After making the reader think that it could not possibly get worse, Madeline is introduced. She is a frail creature who is suffering from an unknown illness. This fact is the first thing that Poe reveals about her character.

Madeline's illness is so terrible that she cannot respond to any outside stimuli. After a brief introduction, the narrator does not see her again. Poe has introduced her despair and no longer needs her appearance. He also shows that she is truly a vision of horror, as Roderick and the narrator are able to forget their woes and have somewhat of a good time, as long as they do not think of her.