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Edgar Allan Poe Suspense Essay

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Edgar Allen Poe is known for being one of the most prominent Gothic writers. In his work many signature Gothic elements are used to create heightened feelings of emotion. The different senses of emotion make the experience of reading Poe’s work greater. Even though he constantly uses Gothic elements, they are not always identical. Edgar Allen Poe creates suspense and mystery in both The Fall of the House of Usher and The Black Cat through examples of metamorphosis; however, the tales differ significantly in examples of supernatural occurrences. Edgar Allen Poe creates suspense and mystery in The Fall of the House of Usher and The Black Cat through specific occurrences of metamorphosis. Metamorphosis is defined as a change of the form …show more content…

As the narrator entered the house to meet up with his acquaintance from boyhood, he realized how “terribly altered” Roderick had become, to the point in which it was hard to “admit the identity of the wan before [him]” (Poe, 8). The pact time Roderick Usher was seen by the narrator, the process of metamorphosis had obviously taken place. Seen in The Fall of the House of Usher the type of metamorphosis that has taken place is most likely a natural form that is seen throughout many human beings as time passes. This is still increasing the feelings of mystery and suspense because the reader starts to feel a sense of distress after hearing how much Mr. Usher has changed. The Fall of the House of Usher shows metamorphosis seen in human beings. In The Black Cat after committing harsh acts of drunken abuse towards animals the narrator’s cat Pluto undergoes change. Seen on Pluto there is a white mark on his chest area, throughout the story the mark has stayed constant, unchanging, until by “slow degrees” and “nearly imperceptible” the …show more content…

Seen in The Black Cat as the narrator is finishing his story, a surprising new factor comes into play at the very end. Inside the narrator’s walls was a corpse that was disgustingly “decayed” and “clotted with gore” unannounced; the corpse “stood erect” as everyone watched (Poe, 5). The narrator knew about the corpse in his walls but he and the spectators watched it stand straight up as if it was alive. The intense feelings of suspense and the heightened sense of fear felt by the reader enhances the experience of reading this short story. In The Fall of the House of Usher there are arguably no examples of supernatural occurrences but that does not mean there are not anymore instances of increased feelings of mystery and suspense. One Gothic element seen in The Fall of the House of Usher is the idea of the ancestral curse. As the narrator was conversing with Roderick Usher the topic of the Usher family and the history behind it was brought up. The Usher family has suffered more of a “constitutional and… a family evil” compared to a good and fresh family history, the Usher “nervous affection” would be “soon pass[ed]” down to Roderick.” (Poe, 9). The realization that The Whole Usher family has suffered what Roderick is going through, and is the cause of what Roderick is feeling

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Deep within every person there is a sense of fear that terrifies them for life. In Edgar Allen Poe’s story “The Fall of the house of Usher”, the narrator enters the home of a lifelong friend, Usher, who has fallen to the fear he has held within him. Usher’s twin sister, Madeline, has Usher on edge thinking that she is dead. When they bury her, she comes back to life and takes him away to die with him. They are the last two of the family of Ushers.

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The story takes place in a gloomy and decaying mansion, which is described in great detail by the narrator. The house is described as being "a mansion of gloom" and "tottering upon the brink of a promontory," which serves to create a sense of foreboding and unease in the reader (The Fall of the House of Usher). Furthermore, the character of Roderick Usher is a prime example of gothic character development. He is described as a "melancholy and sickly man" who is driven mad by his own fears and phobias (The Fall of the House of Usher). These gothic elements serve to create a sense of suspense and foreboding in the reader, as they are left to wonder what will become of Roderick and the mansion.

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Whenever a story of mystery or deceit is spoken, the name Edgar Allan Poe is always heard nearby. Edgar Allan Poe, one of the great American writers known for his works such as the Raven and The Fall of the House of Usher, did not only have a unique writing style, but also a unique life full of mystery and despair. He was the founder of the mystery story, but his life contained as many mysteries as he wrote. Poe’s life was full of anguish with most of the things he cared for being lost. He eventually became the shrouded figure who wrote the stories that still give us chills today.

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Roderick and Madeline Usher have been riddled with many illnesses as a result of the many generations hailing from a “direct line of descent” (Poe 196). The twins are the last members of their family and are on the edge of extinction. It can be possible that the Usher’s had turned their backs on God and “betrayed the Holy Ghost in themselves” (The Fall of the House of Usher 167). As the last of the Usher House, Madeline and Roderick symbolize the end of “an Enlightenment tradition still standing but about to collapse” (The Fall of the House of Usher 167).

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