TFOTHOU 5 Gr A

Observations !

The narrator uses very specific words to describe his friend. He says he's an ennuyé man of the world (which echoes the French expression mal du siècle to speak about the Romantic age) ; he's also described like a tragic hero : his "struggles" are "feeble and futile," and he inspires "fear and awe" (see Aristotle). 

Catharsis=purification

Greek Tragedies were devoted to Dyonisius

When Usher says his sister and him are going to die, is it plausible, is it avoidable ?

Furthermore, his sister Madeline is also Roderick's twin. 

The Theme of the Double :

In The Fall of the House of Usher, the narrator insists on the physical ressemblance of Lady Madeline and her brother Roderick. They both have a classical beauty, and are week and feeble. They're twins. They're both sick. They're both likely to die soon. They both have some sort of a link with the House.

Poe had already explored the theme of the (evil) double in another short story entitled William Wilson, where a doppleganger (evil double) replaces the main character and takes over his life. French psyhciatrist Capgras later found that some people thought that their family had been replaced by doubles. 

Summary ! 

1 : he describes the studio of Usher, and his own feelings.

2 : the narrator describes the mental situation of Usher and his physical appearance.

3 : He reflects on Usher's movements (he was like a statue before).

4 : Roderick Usher talks about his condition.

5 : Roderick talks about fear, and about his probable death.

6 : Roderick says his mental state is influenced by the house.

7 : Roderick talks about his sister ; the narrator can see her.

8 : We learn that his sister has an illness (catalepsy).

9 : the narrator tries to relieve Usher from his melancholy (guitar playing)

10 : the narrator tries to relieve Usher from his melancholy (talking together ; paint, look at paintings, reading)

11 : the narrator talks about one of Usher's painting (the inside of a tomb)

- lab

- 50/50 light dark

- colours

 

Another point is the very first line describing the House of Usher : there are "many dark and intricate passages," and the narrator will get lost without the help of a guide (here, the valet). It feels like it's a maze, a labyrinth : when Theseus enters the Daedalus, he needs Ariadne's help to find his way to the center of the darkness. 

Here, the narrator has just entered a physical labyrinth (the House), and a mental labyrinth (Usher). Can he go inside and go out unscathed ? Likewise, we as readers have just entered the story, which is "dark and intricate." The story itself is a labyrinth. We could even say that Poe's writing itself feels like a maze where we could get lost.