The Fall of the House of Usher

In the English dictionary, "fear" is defined as an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. That emotional feeling of fear is the key theme of many stories written by Edgar Allen Poe. Poe is a distinguished legend in American Literature. Though he is no psychologist, Poe transcribes writings that portray individuals' character, usually flawed with imperfections. Poe writes in the horror genre due to his troubling childhood, allowing his audience to embark on a fear-provoking journey commanding them to reflect beyond normality. A sense of bizarre terror in Poe's stories lead his characters to overpowering madness, usually resulting in their death. Poe does exceptional work of incorporating this feeling through his passages in "The Fall of the House of Usher"; particularly in his passage on pages 1000-1001. One way to understand the implication of this passage is in the many connections that Poe creates for his readers. Poe wrote "The Fall of the House of Usher" as a short story of men whose terrors manifest them through the connections of immense supernatural aspects and overwhelming guilt.

In "The Fall of the House of Usher" there's an element of the supernatural that lurks throughout the household, most likely emerging from the death of Usher's sister. Poe is known for his way of using these supernatural elements to set an eerie tone for his readers. For example, in the selected passage the narrator states, "I felt creeping upon me, by slow yet certain degrees, the wild influences of his own fantastic yet impressive superstitions" (Poe 1000). By this line Poe implies that there is a supernatural air lurking in the halls and this is obvious through the narrators feeling of someone creeping behind him. Poe further illustrates this element of supernatural when the narrator says, "I know not why, except that an instinctive spirit prompted me – to certain low and indefinite sounds which came…" (1001). The narrator feels and experiences things that are not easily explainable to the readers. This is a feature that Poe uses in the passage to acquire his reader to become more involved in the story. It is through the supernatural elements that Poe introduces the feeling of fear and guilt placed upon the narrator.

The selected passage shows Poe's capability to create an emotional atmosphere for his readers, especially through guilt and fear. A wrongful act would have to be committed for an individual to feel guilt. Likewise, when someone has a guilty conscience, he or she seems to perceive things differently. The selected passage illustrates this point when the narrator describes the draperies having a dark and tattered look.