Summary & Analysis of Fall of the House of Usher

With gothic motifs such as houses, death and decay, and powerful loves, “Fall of the House of Usher” is one of Edgar Allan Poe’s more famous short stories. The story opens with the narrator describing the eerie house of the Usher’s--where his old friend, Roderick Usher, lives. The unnamed narrator describes the vile atmosphere, but notes that the structure itself is solid (this is important to note for the analysis). The narrator moves on to speak of a letter in which Roderick describes his anxious and physically ill state. Unwavering, the narrator comes to Roderick’s rescue to aid his old friend. As rushing to assist his friend, he mentions that the Usher clan only leaves one descendant--not because they do not want more than one heir but because only one survives. Upon entering the house and greeting Roderick, he grows concerned about the unusualiness of Roderick--quite pale and not enthusiastic. This narrator even is careful to describe that Roderick seems afraid, not from his own health but of the house. Roderick notes that his sister, Madeleine, has become terminally ill and that unfortunately that the doctors have no idea what it is or how to cure it. The narrator seems disappointed and tries to soothe Roderick by telling stories, etc. Then, just as the narrator begins a story for Roderick, Roderick poses the idea that the house itself is ill.

The sister has now died. Roderick asks the narrator to move her body down to the tombs underneath the house, temporarily. Roderick is fearful that the doctors want to use, mutilate her body for examination to determine the cause of death. While moving the body, the narrator realizes that the sister and Roderick were in fact twins. That night the narrator cannot sleep, and Roderick is becoming increasingly unsteady. Roderick even comes knocking on the narrator’s bedroom door hysterically speaking about some bright-looking gas around the house. The narrator soothes him again, and says that it is common. Another attempt to soothe Roderick is when the narrator decides to read to him “Mad Trist” by Sir Launcelot Canning. As he reads, he hears noises corresponding to the story, but he ignores them. Soon, they become unbearably loud, and Roderick is slumped over, muttering to himself that he thinks that they buried his sister alive. Alas, the narrator looks over and sees that the sister is in fact alive and covered in blood from the escape of the tomb. She attacks Roderick, and he dies from fear. The narrator escapes the house just in time before the house collapses and he is surrounded by a storm.

“Fall of the House of Usher” is the quintessence of the gothic tale because of this gothic motif of the “haunted house.” The house in this story, as Gabriel Miller names, is the “reflection of their inhabitants”; the house not only is important physically in the story, but also the house showcases the minds of the dwellers. For example, Roderick Usher, the inhabitant of the Usher home, writes a worrisome letter to his friend describing his mental instability. His unnamed companion, the narrator, describes to the audience his experience once traveling to the house of Usher to aid his friend. As the narrator, and thus the audience, learns more and more about the growing of the instability of Roderick, the house deteriorates more and more; by the end of the short story, the house collapses as does Roderick Usher. Thus, the house of Usher is drawn to the conclusion that the house mimics the mind of Roderick Usher, the “reflections of the inhabitants.” Rather, the “Fall of the House of Usher” is in reality the fall of the mind of Usher (Perry).