Quiz on "The Fall of the House of Usher"

In the description of the exterior of the house, which words suggest the presence of decay in the structure itself? In what ways does this description foreshadow, or hint at, the ending of the story?

- It is very dark where the narrator had a, "sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit." There were bleak walls, vacant window dressings, and decayed trees that made the house have an, "iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart" type of mood. - The description foreshadows the house collapse into the Earth because something very dark isn't going to survive in vibrant life. The house's fall was coming because it was waiting for the one sick thing to leave - Usher - and now that it has fallen, it can hopefully grow again without sickness.

Define fissure. Where does the narrator notice this feature?

A narrow opening, a thin crack running through the wall. He notices it in the lake and the house because of the reflection.

Define tarn. How does this feature affect the story?

A small lake. Shows that darkness is no only represented in the house but in the lake too.

What flaw in the house might a careful observer find?

Although the house and its decay are the first things one might notice when one approached the House of Usher. There is a large crack along the side of the house, foreshadowing that the house is, indeed, coming apart. That crack ultimately begins the final "fall" when the family and the house fall apart.

The narrator describes Usher's belief in sentience. Define sentience. How does this idea affect Usher?

Feeling without thought; sense that inanimate objects have life. Usher thinks that everything and everyone around him is a living thing. The house has certain haunting quality, it is alive to him.

What happens to Roderick at the end of the story?

He dies.

What does Roderick do with Madeline towards the end of the story?

He entombs her in the house to hold her forever.

Why does the narrator visit Usher?

He is very sick.

In what ways has Roderick Usher changes since the narrator last saw him?

He looks like he is decaying.

What does the narrator notice about Madeline's appearance in her coffin?

He notices a strong resemblance between Roderick and Madeline (twins). He also notices a faint blush on her chest and face and a lingering smile on her lips.

What does the narrator see at the end of the story?

He see's a reflection of the moon in the fissure.

Who is Roderick mainly worried about?

His sister Madeline.

What does the narrator feel at his first glimpse of the House of Usher?

It causes him to feel a sense of melancholy or sadness. He is becoming depressed as he looks at the house. His feelings for the house in the reflection on the tarn (lake).

What is the significance of the detail that the narrator finds himself becoming affected by Usher's condition? Do you think the narrator is a reliable witness of the events he describes?

Once the narrator felt a change in mood, he has an urge to peer into the darkness (like Usher did), but that frighten hims where he gets out of bed and paces around to forget his thoughts. While Usher and his house fall a part, the narrator stays objective enough to give us an account of what happens.

Which descriptive details of the interior of the house suggest that the narrator has entered a realm that is very different from the ordinary world? Which details in Usher's appearance suggest that he has been cut off from the outside world for many years? In what way is the appearance of the interior of the house to Usher's appearance and to the condition of his mind?

Phantasmajoric armorial trophies, feeble gleams of encrimsoned light Like Usher's physical appearance the house is in a state of decay. Like his mind the house is gloomy and full of sorrow - he passes several striking images on objects like tapestries and carvings which give him a haunting sensation. - The windows were too high for them to be reached. The room is cluttered with books, musical instruments, and furniture. - Usher looks pale, thin, and his eyes seem to have a strange look where the narrator has a hard time recognizing him, and from this description of Usher, you can infer that he does not spend time outside .- He has so many thoughts going through his head that he feels that his haunting terrors are going to kill him.

What happens Madeline comes out of the tomb?

She sound like she is dying and attacks Roderick

How would you describe the symptoms of Madeline's disease?

She suffers seizures.

Which odd or unnatural sight does the narrator see when the curtains are opened?

Strangely dense clouds and whirlwinds

Why is there so much evil?

The house is possessed, the bizarre/unnatural relationship between Roderick and Madeline, and a curse on the Usher family.

Why has the narrator gone to visit Usher? Does the narrator succeed in his purpose?

The narrator does not succeed at all in his purpose in visiting Usher. He goes there with the intention of trying to bring Roderick Usher out of the severe depression into which he has fallen. Roderick, a boyhood friend of his, implored him in a letter to come and help him. Instead, what happens is that the narrator is unnerved by Roderick's unceasing air of melancholy, the strange cataleptic condition of Roderick's sister Madeleine, and the generally morbid atmosphere which permeates the entire house.

what conclusion does the narrator draw about usher's mental state?

The narrator sees Usher as somewhat of a hypochondriac, since illness runs in his family and he expects to be sick like his predecessors. He believes things to such an extent that he often carries them out - thus the burial of his sister.

what is "the haunted palace?"

The poem "The Haunted Palace" is a ballad — a poem or song that tells a story, often one of tragedy. The haunted palace in the ballad symbolizes the same thing that the house of Usher does: an ancestral home and name fallen into mental and physical decline. Even the way Poe introduces the poem suggests this. Usher sings the poem to his friend Victor, introducing it as a half-remembered, ancient melody about the state of his house.

What unusual sounds does the narrator hear?

Unusual screaming or grading sound, cracking and ripping sound, a shriek so horrid and harsh

What beliefs about the "sentience" of matter does usher express to the narrator? How are Usher's beliefs and fears borne out by the final events of the story?

Usher expresses that objects in his house are sentient and have the capacity to feel and perceive emotions. Usher believes that the stones around his house and the water in the lake contain a remainder of his ancestors and senses a destructive atmosphere in his house.- He also believes that this is why his family is doomed with such illness His beliefs and fears are borne out by this final event because he is fearful of having a fatal death like his sister but unfortunately, his nightmare ends and it becomes clear that Madeline brought Usher to his death.

In what ways has Roderick Usher changed since the speaker last saw him?

Usher roam sickly Each feature exaggerated by time Usher unusually Pale His hair disheveled His hair is now of a mere "weblike softness," and a strange luster is in his eyes of a face of "ghostly pallor."