Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” centers around an unnamed narrator who visits the House of Usher upon request of its proprietor, Roderick Usher. Through an urgent letter, Usher, who suffers from an acute bodily illness, explains his condition and expresses his desire to see his former childhood friend again. Although the narrator accordingly agrees to satisfy Usher’s request, he immediately feels a sense of dread and horror upon arriving at the House of Usher. With its “insufferable gloom” (3) and “extraordinary dilapidation” (6), the House of Usher represents a bleak nightmare that most likely houses further atrocities within. The mansion’s name, the “House of Usher,” suggests a spiritual connection between …show more content…
While aiding Usher with his sister’s temporary entombment, the narrator catches a glimpse of her face and suddenly perceives the “striking similitude between the brother and sister” (17). Usher confirms the narrator’s speculation by revealing that the “deceased and himself had been twins” (18). The events of his sister’s passing and the entombment greatly trouble Usher to the point where his gloomy behavior becomes increasingly apparent. The narrator notes the observable changes in Usher as he describes how the “pallor of his countenance had assumed, if possible, a more ghastly hue” (18), yet another indication of Usher’s decaying health. Usher’s devastating response to Madeline’s death suggests that the twins shared a tighter bond than most siblings. Their time spent in the same womb contributes to their deep connection, as if they represent two halves of a single whole. Usher’s inability to disconnect from Madeline even after her death causes him to spiritually follow his sister’s path of deterioration as he degrades further and further. His pursuit turns even more sinister when his sister “raises from the dead” and pulls him “to the floor a corpse” (25). In this case, the twins have finally finished their journey together “from womb to