Comparing The Raven And The Fall Of The House Of Usher

Sophia Barnes
Mr. Arthurs
Honors English 10
13 February 2023
Comparing and Contrasting Gothic Elements Essay The world first experienced Gothic literature during the late eighteenth century. Built out of Romantic literature, Gothic literature embraced the imaginary and explored the dark side of human nature. One of the most famous Gothic writers, Edgar Allan Poe, produced many famous poems and short stories filled with Gothic elements. One of the most common Gothic elements, the use of supernatural events, appears in many of Poe’s stories, such as “The Black Cat”, “The Raven”, and “The Fall of the House of Usher”. The most important and recurring way Poe creates an atmosphere of mystery and suspense in his Gothic tales is through supernatural

The most important way Poe creates an atmosphere of mystery and suspense in “The Black Cat” is through a supernatural occurrence, which is the driving force of the narrator's madness. The story begins with the narrator, a day away from meeting his death at the gallows, explaining the events that lead to him becoming insane. The narrator speaks both of his love of animals, especially his black cat Pluto, and his struggles with alcoholism. Eventually, his overuse of alcohol leads to outbursts of anger, one in particular that leads him to act violently toward Pluto and cut out one of his eyes. Signs of madness shine through when the narrator explains to the reader that he then proceeded to hang Pluto because wanted to commit “a vile or a silly action for no other reason” than because he knew he should not (Poe). Now, with his favorite pet dead, the narrator feels remorse and guilt. This action continues to haunt the narrator throughout his days until he finds a cat with an uncanny

The narrator has come to visit his childhood friend, Roderick Usher, who had fallen ill. Roderick came from a very high-class family and had inherited a large manor in the woods. From the beginning of the story, the narrator feels uneasy in the house, “an iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart” as soon as he walks in the doors (Poe). The protagonist does not understand the source of these feelings, so he continues to stay and tries to nurse his friend back to health. Later in the story, the reader learns that Roderick also suffers from the loss of his twin sister, Madeline, who had died of an unknown illness. Roderick tells the main character that this now makes him the last of the Usher family, a very lonely role. The narrator and Roderick bury Madeline together, and the protagonist finds Madeline’s resting place strange. Roderick insists upon not burying her in the family graveyard, but instead in a very secure vault in the Usher mansion. After they buried Madeline, Roderick begins to first show signs of madness, having insomnia and painting woeful pieces of art. At the climax of the story, Roderick declares to the narrator that he has cursed the Usher family because he has buried his sister alive. Moments later Madeline breaks from the vault, “blood upon her white