Topic > The role of the narrator in "The Fall of the House of Usher"

Edgar Allan Poe was a great 19th century American Gothic writer. There is scarcely a mention of early American literature that does not praise his work. Of his literature, The Fall of the House of Usher gives a certain air of chilling tones and intense narration. Walter Evans analyzes this popular story and shares Poe's motivation and theory behind the dark tale. In this he exposes the themes and main parts of the story and compares the fundamental principles with the elements of Poe's theory and statements. Compare Poe's work to Hawthorne's and how the two share similarities in their writing but are also truly unique. It provides a good insight into Poe's writings and how he is able to create dark, detailed images within the pages and bring them to life. He touches on some events that could be considered more important to give more space to the careful detail he inserts into the text describing the surrounding environment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Through the pages of The Fall of the House of Usher Poe almost gets lost in his descriptive writing. The events that happen take a back seat as the writing goes into extreme detail in describing a room or place. Evans states that “the episodes Poe uses seem virtually lost in the descriptive passages. For example, he barely mentions an event that, in a story based on accidents and agreements, should logically deserve much more emphasis: Madeline's supposed death before her burial. The entire episode receives only thirteen words ("one evening he had suddenly informed me that Mrs. Madeline was no longer there," 287), many, many fewer even than the narrator's description of Roderick's room, the underground vault, or of the house and the house. his reflection in the pond.”(139). In The Fall of House Usher the incidents are not as descriptive as they could be and are left out throughout the story. It's almost as if Poe is trying to de-emphasize the events, even though they could just as well have a larger place and place. Experts have described Poe's strong points in writing as atmosphere or mood, because it leaves a lasting impression. He is known for his strong images and also has a certain pattern in his writing. In the text there are such descriptions and images that almost surpass the actions. The overall flow and lyrical style of the story are irrelevant to the plot, but add strongly to Poe's style. “Poe clearly composed the body of the story with elements central to the lyrical method but largely irrelevant to the narrative progression charted; he clearly subordinated combined incidents to patterned images. (140). Logically, events such as the death of a major character would require detailed development and some time spent on narration, however, they are described briefly, in a quick sentence. From the first sentence Poe increases the reader's sensitivity to the story by fascinating the audience with chilling and suspenseful passages. It opens with a quote, which presents a “vivid image of the lyrical protagonist” (143) and has just the right suspenseful anticipation for the right kind of readers. He then introduces the symbolic metaphor of the house of Usher using grotesque details. “A presentation of the house and surrounding landscape in terms that could be interpreted as a portrait of Usher himself, or even of Poe, whose portraits, at least in the popular imagination, are dominated by “seedy” cheeks, enormous eyes, a L image of "rank" and slightly thick moustache, processed in a wayprocessed, is then duplicated and reversed…quite significant in terms of the form and content of the story” (143). Poe's principles in the story are different from what he later states in his theory. He focuses so much on the details of dark events and surroundings throughout the text that the reader can lose sight of what the message is supposed to be. In The Fall of the House Usher the narrator is an interesting piece to analyze. The unnamed, limited, and direct narrator takes readers deeper into the history of the house itself rather than focusing on the individual telling the story. It is nothing more than a person attempting to convey a story as accurately as possible and to focus all attention on the events and descriptions of the story rather than on his or her thoughts, feelings, and well-being. He is vague about himself; remains nameless. He constantly reiterates that the situation and events are too difficult to put into words and that the house itself is simply strange. The beginning reveals nothing about the narrator. It is simply stated that he or she was going on a trip and managed to come across the melancholy house of Usher. It opens with a sad painted picture of a dark and boring day when an unnamed person on a horse comes across this house. The painted scene does not focus on the narrator or his travels at all, they are just stated matter-of-factly. The image comes from the description of the house and the type of day it was. It sets the tone for the entire story. A dark spell is cast on the reader by the narrator's apprehension and feelings about the house, “at the first sight of the building, a sense of unbearable sadness pervaded my spirit. I say unbearable; for the feeling was not relieved by anything of that half-pleasant, because poetic feeling, with which the mind usually receives even the severest natural images of the desolate or terrible” (702). Some of the most common descriptive words used by the narrator are sadness, dark, dreary, and boring. These are used from the beginning until the end and keep the story with the same depressing and dark atmosphere. The narrator and Poe himself were not as focused on the events that took place in the story. Many events that occurred were glimpsed and barely mentioned, even if they held the possibility of being important. Instead, a lot of time and energy was spent describing the house itself, the rooms, the general atmosphere and the sensations received. Events could have passed in an instant instead of being processed as the narrator was chosen to speak to the overall darkness. He mentions many times that the events that occurred were so dark that his words could not describe them. He hides from the grotesque details of the events and instead focuses on the darkness of the rooms and the cold feeling of sadness. He trembles as he reframes some of the events and refuses to share them, passing them off as something too horrible to reveal, "...an influence whose supposed strength has been here conveyed in terms too dark to be restated (705). I should fail in every attempt to convey an idea of ​​the exact character of the studies, or occupations, in which he engaged me (706). words lack to express the full extent, or sincere abandon of his persuasion (709) "Poe claims that the story is even more terrifying than what the narrator shares, making it even more compelling for the reader. There is darkness, desolation and an eerie feeling to the story as it is, but introducing the element of more takes it even further. The point made by the narrator is that even though he provides details.. 2014.