TFOTHOU 7 B

 For Poe, the reason is feminine, but it's tottering.

Usher's poem explores the themes of old age, religion and decay. It's reminiscent of other poems by Poe (Annabel Lee, the Raven).

The trees and the fungi near the house are sentient, they seem to be awakening. 

The books in Poe's library are all connected with the plot somehow: they evoke underground passages, physical evil, the impossibility for the Apollonian side to win (The City of the Sun is a utopia), and the inescapability of fate (with Chiromancy). The Latin book highlights a very important element of the story : Madeline dies, and Roderick insists to put her body in a vault, under the house. Her body seems still fresh.

The Dyonisian side of Usher seems to be winning.

In the end, Poe uses pathetic fallacy to insist on the "terror and the beauty," the sublime aspect of the situation. 

SUMMARY pp 98-105

- Usher improvises, and sings a ballad.

- the Poem

- Usher and the narrator evokes the nature around and on the house ; it's sentient.

- It's about Roderick's favourite books. 

- Madeline dies.

- It's about the details of the entombment. 

- the Narrator realises Madeline and Roderick are twins, and that she seems alive.

- Roderick's behavious and sanity gets worse and worse.

- one night, the narrator is afraid before going to sleep.

- Roderick shows up.

- "Have you seen it" -> a short conversation.

- Roderick opens the narrator's window, there's a storm outside, and it's pitch black.

- The narrator tries to calm down Roderick, closes the window and starts reading a book.

hysteria...

??

Maybe Roderick will turn mad and kill himself ?

Perhaps we won't see him die, it will just be suggested.

Roderick is likely to die.

The house will devour the two characters (Madeline and Roderick).

OTRANTO

Gothic ?

"Subterraneous," "vaults," "altar," "covern," "labyrinth of darkness"

THAT MELANCHOLY OF MIND

SUMMARY

Lorenzo tries to save his sister who was kidnapped by a Catholic Monk.

 

 

 

 

 frankenstein

otranto