Corruption Of The House Of Usher Essay

Imagery and Inhabitants of the House of Usher
American gothic literature is known for its focus on the capacity for human evil. While gothic literature has that central idea different authors interpret human evil in different ways. For instance Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher is a fine example of the common gothic traits of insanity and human corruption. Poe’s tone of doom and fear controlling and affecting every aspect of a person’s life is best illustrated when examining the imagery and character traits he uses.
Imagery is often the first technique an author employs to create a sense of the overall time for the story since it can be used in almost any part of the story to elaborate on what the author has written. Poe opens the story with a lengthy description of the …show more content…
In a final analysis, Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher skillfully incorporates detailed imagery and character traits to to set the tone of fear and suspense. Poe also uses these elements to create a unity of effect where all of the minor details create the big picture at the end. Roderick foreshadowing his death by fear at the end of the story. Poe also gives an exact layout of the vault so when Madeline breaks out, the reader knows exactly what is going on. Although Poe’s descriptions may be lengthy and outwardly unnecessary, it all works together to complete the tone and the