Randy Mootooveran
Sci- fi, Fantasy, Horror Lit
January 17, 2017

The Gothic of The Fall of the House of Usher

 Having already read Frankenstein, I decided to tackle another popular gothic short story writen by Edgar Allen Poe. Gothic often features strong themes of decay, which is all over the house as well as its residents. As the protagonist ventures inside, he encounters this family that couldn't be further from normal with their odd mannerisms and the crumbling desolation of their house.It's clear through the descriptions of things like the creaking of a rusted chandelier and the strange noises at night that a dark history lingers over the house and its inhabitants. The very air they breathe is wreathed with the disease both Roderick and Madeline carry. In my opinion, gothic motifs in any medium are never about direct violence. Unquestionably, violent imagery or allusions are plentiful in practically anything that wears the moniker of gothic. No, gothic conveys more of a feeling of dread, of being isolated in a twisted environment where you feel unease at every turn. The residents of Usher never threaten the protagonist, but nevertheless embody the notion of accepting a stranger untainted and foreign to their ancient house. It culminates into Madelines anguished screams of being buried alive, attacking Roderick as the narrator flees from the crumbling house. Like other gothic stories, the ending isn't triumphant, but empty as the narrator is left alone with the remains of the house and the people he couldn't save.