The Fall of the House of UsherThe Fall of the House of UsherThe Fall of the House of Usher”SummaryThe narrator approaches the House of Usher on a “dull, dark, and soundless day.” This house–the estate of his boyhood friend, Roderick Usher–is very gloomy and mysterious. The narrator writes that the house seems to have collected an evil and diseased atmosphere from the decaying trees and murky ponds around it. He notes, however, that although the house itself is decaying in pieces (for example, individual stones are disintegrating), the structure itself is fairly solid. There is only a small break in the front of the building from the roof to the ground. The narrator reveals that he is to stay in this house because his friend, Roderick, sent him a letter earnestly requesting his company. Roderick told the narrator in this letter that he was feeling bodily and emotionally ill, so the narrator rushed to his house. The narrator also mentions that the Usher family, while an ancient clan, never flourished. Only one member of the Usher family survived from generation to generation, so they were all in a direct line of descent without any siblings.
The inside of the house is just as spooky as the outside. The narrator makes his way through the long passages and to the room where Roderick is waiting. The narrator notes that his friend is paler and less energetic than he once was. Roderick tells the narrator that he suffers from nerves and fear. His senses are heightened. The narrator also notes that Roderick seems afraid of his own house. Further, Rodericks sister, Madeline Usher has taken ill with a mysterious illness that the doctors cannot even identify. The narrator proceeds to spend several days trying to cheer Roderick. He listens to Roderick play the guitar (and makes up words for his songs), he reads to Roderick, he sits with him for hours. Still, he cannot lift his sadness. Soon Roderick posits his theory that the house is unhealthy, just as the narrator had supposed at the beginning of the story.
[center]The exterior of the house is also a place of fear. This is also a place where the narrator often finds inspiration to make new relationships. Roderick describes a “black box” in which his best friend and his parents lie in bed and his brother-in-law has a gun with him, while his cousin seems to have a gun with him in his bedroom. It becomes “spooky” soon enough, to the point where it is hard to believe that he is even there.
This makes it possible for each reader to take a break from the mundane. There is a time for writing, but then there is also a time for contemplation, the time for contemplation between worlds. If our stories are about being able to live in each other’s bodies, then I guess that makes the house more frightening. The narrator tries to talk Roderick through his thoughts and feelings, both of which give the readers some idea of how fearful he may be. However, there are times when Roderick’s thoughts become so frightening, and even if he hasn’t thought for a while, the audience will feel it. The narrator may find himself wondering what his body feels and doesn’t feel, as he does with Roderick. He may find himself questioning or scared, as he does with Roderick.
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Many parts of the story are based on actual experience. In some places, these experiences are as simple as getting into a new place or taking in a shower, but in others, there is a deeper level of reality. On the one hand, we see people struggling around, trying to decide what to do with their life. On the other, we see ourselves in situations where the problems and challenges are so different, and that our experiences may help to overcome the challenges together (there is no “sick” feeling in these stories). Our experiences are real. We have the possibility that life can break down if things get out of hand, but the problem is we can’t give out any information that puts others in danger, including our own insecurities about that condition in the first place, or even our emotions and feelings.