The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe

Nobody knows what goes on inside of a house, although the house has been passed down from one generation to another. In the story, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” by Edgar Allen Poe, the mystery behind the closed door lies on the person who steps inside the house which opens a horror that is unexpected. The readers enter into the mysterious house of Usher through the eyes of an unknown narrator. The occupants, Roderick Usher, and his sister, Madeline, are the last line of descendants that share the mansion that was inherited from the Ushers’ ancestors. They suffer from illnesses. Usher wrote his childhood friend, the narrator, a letter explaining about his illness and depress mood. He summoned him to come and keep him company. When arriving at the mansion, that is isolated away from civilization along with the occupants that live in the house, the narrator explains that something was “insufferable” about the house and the people that live there. The house is decaying and unhealthy just like Usher and his sister. At the end the house falls, the occupants die and the narrator escaped the horror that lies behind the mysterious “House of Usher.” 

Edgar Allen Poe’s writing style is unique and creates a world that evokes fear by using gothic elements to set the mood and atmosphere for terror. In this short story, he uses first person to attract the readers and get them to personally identify with the characters. The narrator is simply the observer that tells the story from his experience as he enters the house. He sees the two siblings, Roderick and Madeline, are victims of an illness that they inherited from the family. The Ushers’ mansion can be considered a character in the story and is described as being rotting and falling apart, just like the occupants. Poe wants his readers to focus on Roderick Usher and his illness because the illness identifies the character and is parallel to the identity of the house. Poe does this in order to reflect his own experiences with illness.

Illness is an affect that is caused by a disease in parts of the human body. This condition can cause a person’s ability to function abnormally and act in a particular way. Roderick and Madeline Usher suffer from illnesses that affect their bodies and minds. For example, Roderick Usher’s illness can be described as “acute bodily illness and mental disorder which oppressed him” (Poe, 15). He suffers from sensitivity to light, smells, sound, taste and certain clothing material. Also, he obsesses about being ill, which is a sign of anxiety disorder. Another example, his sister Madeline suffers from “partial cataleptical character” (Poe, 19). This led her into a death like trance, which makes her seem dead, but she is really alive. This may come from unhealthy conditions in their environment or family genetics. Pragati Ghosh wrote, “Ill-health of a person can have many causes and consequences. Illness is not always physical but may be mental, social or psychological. A person, who is ill, lacks the experience of soundness in his body, mind as well as spirit. Once illness sets in a person, he is deprived of the happiness and the joys in the outside world that he seeks otherwise in state of wellness” (Ghosh). Ill-health is different for most people and has different effects on them. Roderick Usher and his sister, Madeline are both physically ill but its Roderick Usher, who suffers from mental illness that stops his ability to engage with everyday activities. This created some social dysfunctions and psychological disorders, which leaves him withdrawn from the outside world and living with unhealthy thoughts. This continual pattern of behavior starts to drive him into madness, fear, and isolation which deprive him of his everyday life. His daily routines are interrupted. 

Roderick Usher is not well. While parts of his illness is physical (morbid acuteness of the senses), he primarily suffers from mental illness. His physical condition is only mentioned in the beginning of the story when he summons the narrator with a letter. He suffers symptoms from sensitivities of the senses which leave him in severe pain and they are heightened due to a nervous condition.  For example, his taste buds were either destroyed by his mental condition or by the surrounding environment, which as a result he could only tolerate the most tasteless foods.  With clothing, because producer or manufacturer was using something in the finished product that conflicted with his dermatologic condition (skin) he could only wear certain fabrics.  It would seem that he had acute pollen allergies because of the smell of all flowers was overbearing.  Lights of any level were agonizing to his eyes.  Everyday sounds caused him discomfort, but the guitar was moderate enough in range and pitch not to cause him anxiety. Roderick Usher’s condition can be characterized as hyperesthesia, in today’s terminology, an overly-action of the senses. Also, Usher is worry about being ill which makes him a hypochondriac. Together these symptoms make Roderick Usher a victim of mental illness.