Fall of the House of Usher

“the whole mansion and domain there hung an atmosphere peculiar to themselves and their immediate vicinity - an atmosphere which had no affinity with the air of heaven”

I think it is fair to ask: Edgar Allen Poe, are you okay? I ask with the utmost respect because I’m wondering, what on earth did I just read? Naturally, with all quasi-horror stories, there is an air of the natural, the unspeakable other. And while this may be a short story, no more than 30 pages long, it is arguably one of Poe’s most famous tales. For a story of only 30 pages, there is a lot of ‘otherness’ to unpack here.

‘Fall of the House of Usher’ is one of the many exemplary tales within the gothic genre. Sure, there is no beating heart under the floorboards, no raven haunting you about the death of your wife - but what could be more horrifying and unexplainable than the horror forming in your mind? The rational mind vs The unnatural mind seems to be the linchpin of this tale, according to our narrator, who watches the last generation of the great house of Usher fall, Madeline and Roderick Usher, into insanity.

One of the most typical elements of gothic fiction is elements of ‘otherness’. These can include elements of the supernatural or a harsh and bleak setting. The house in which the tale takes place is isolated and run down; the narrator describes faded and tattered tapestries swaying in the drafty hallways, the house seems to have both a literal and metaphorical absence of light - as through the sickness of both Roderick and Madeline Usher have permeated the walls and infected the house. Furthermore, the next description of otherness comes in the form of Madeline, who is first seen as a spectral phantasm that is rarely seen throughout the house and is rarely discussed by her brother.  She is the embodiment of two dimensions, the physical and the spiritual, adding to the house's haunted atmosphere. She is the final nail in the coffin for the siblings; her supposed death brings Roderick to bury her alive in the family tomb, only for her to appear at the end bloodied and in a rage, scaring her brother to death. Her final arrival is signalled by the house groaning, creaking and clanging, a final death bell if you like, signalling the family’s bitter end.

There are subtle hints throughout the story of an incestuous relationship between them, which is why the house falls. You can make of this what you will, why there is no explicit detailing of it in the story(this is the Victorian era after all, this would’ve been censored otherwise) when you read between the lines and how the siblings seem to interact and speak of one another, you can see why it is implied.

I read this as I wanted to watch the Netflix show and start the year off with something easy to read after the Christmas break. I will still watch the Netflix show, but this was not an easy read. I would also not recommend you read this right before you go to bed. Or do, if you fancy some very trippy dreams.