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Usher Suspense

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English Literature has a way of capturing an audience in a way like no other. Literature has the ability to take a reader on the edge of their seat, nail-biting experience. Edgar Allen Poe's stories are brilliant of examples of elements utilized. In the story, "The Fall of The House of Usher," Edgar Allen Poe provides examples of suspense, symbolism, and the gothic element of supernatural events. Acts of suspense can cause a reader to feel uncertain or excited of what is to unfold in the story. In "The Fall of the House of Usher," Edgar Allen Poe paces suspense throughout the story as he discusses the certain vibes that the story entails leading one closer to the finale. This evident when the narrator "paused abruptly, now with a feeling of …show more content…

In "The Fall of the House of Usher," Edgar Allen Poe explains how a character or item has their own element. First, the narrator is symbolic of the hero because "he went upon his friends request"(Poe294) to help him, and "had had been intimate associates"(295) since they were little. He is rolled this element because of his concern for his helpless friend and his care for his well-being throughout the story. Second, Rodrick Usher symbolizes the cruel, evil villain because the narrator finds him in "anomalous species of terror"(299) and "deposited a mournful burden of trestles within this region of horror"(305) when burying his sister. Roderick is appointed this role due to the burial of his living sister and leaving her to die in her coffin. Third, Madeline Usher symbolizes the young woman in need of help in the story. Madeline Usher is proven as the young women when her disease "had long baffled the skill of her physicians,"(300) and was considered a "settled apathy, a gradual wasting away of a person."(300) Lady Madeline was incredibly sick, with an unknown illness who is looking for answers. Unfortunately, she was killed due to her brother's insanity and both ended consumed by their house. Last, the house is symbolizes the supernatural through the story. This is proven by the "ghastly tree stems and the vacant and eye-like windows," (294) and also when "the mighty walls rush[ed]

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What gives the reader that feeling of being on the edge of their seat? Why would he want the reader to anticipate what’s going to happen next? That is how the author expresses tension. The author does this by using literary devices. Edgar Allen Poe builds suspense in “The Black Cat” by using specific literary devices—foreshadowing, allusion, and slow pace.

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When he talks about the house he gives it human characteristics. For example in Disfiguration in ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’; or, Poe’s Mad Lines it states “in other words, the house, described in human terms with its “eye-like windows” making it sound like the house is a face (Pahl 1). The way the narrator describes listening to Roderick talk gives human characteristics to an inanimate object. In “The Fall of the House of Usher” he states “to the wild improvisations of his speaking guitar” explaining how the guitar speaks like a human (Poe11). There are multiple examples of personification used in this dark short story.

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From The Monkey’s Paw “ I Wont “ Said his friend doggedly. “ I threw it on the fire if you keep it don't blame me for what happened pitch it on the fire again like a sensible man” Pg. 108. This is an example of suspense because he says “ if you keep it don't blame me for what happens.” Its makes you think , Is something going to happen? ,

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Suspense is used in literature to give off a feeling of uncertainty. In W.F. Harvey’s story “August Heat”, he writes about our protagonist James and how he meets a bizarre character named Mr.Atkinson who he feels is an unnatural person and feels uneasy with him. Later when he is invited to stay the night, Harvey finished the story off with James saying he will “be gone in less than an

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The crack in the house and the dead trees imply that the house and its surroundings are not sturdy or promising. These elements indicate that a positive outcome is not expected. The thunder,strange light, and mist create a spooky feeling for the reader. In "The Fall of the house of Usher," Edgar Allan Poe creates suspense and fear in the reader. He also tries to convince the reader not to let fear overcome him.

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Words like “dull” and “oppressive” along with phrases like “soundless day in the autumn of year,...” (Poe, line 1) help prevail the darkness lingering outside the house of Usher as if all the evils of the world would be spent on one final blow on the Usher family. As the story progresses however, both Usher and the narrator end up going crazy as the gloomy weather and the reawakening of Usher’s twin sister both contribute to the evils destroying the Usher family.

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In all cases, this tone contributes to the final effect in the story. The character of Usher in The Fall of the House of Usher and the character of Montresor in The Cask of Amontillado, both play a major role in the tone and the symbols in the two stories. Usher and Montresor have very similar characters. Three characteristics

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In the story, The Fall of the House of Usher, a mood within the story is the sense of surprise, then horror. Usher and the narrator were surprised when, “... the tall figure, in its grave- clothes, of the lady Madeline of Usher. There was blood upon her white dress, and the signs of her terrible efforts to escape were upon every part of her thin form. For a moment she remained trembling at the door; then, with a low cry, she fell heavily in upon her brother; in her pain she died at last, she carried him down with her, down the floor. He too was dead, killed by his own fear.

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Suspense is a state or feeling of excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen. For instance, page 173 states, “And this I did for seven long nights- every night just at midnight- but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me; but his Evil Eye”. Page 173 has many examples of suspense but, the main one was that he wouldn’t kill the man for seven days. He was safe because, his eye was closed but, this then makes the reader fear for the man because, what if one of his eyes opened.

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Suspense is creating anticipation in a text to lure the reader in. It can be noticed in many childhood tales as well. An example is The Turtle and the Hare. You think, "Who is going to win this race" or "Is the Turtle going to be able to make it to the end?". You're drawn in at those moments.

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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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In the “Fall of the House of Usher”, Poe uses again two sides of one self. At the beginning of the story, the narrator notices, “the remodelled and inverted images of

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“There was a coldness, a sickening of the heart, in which I could discover nothing to lighten the weight I felt” This line perfectly sums up the overall tone of The Fall of the House of Usher. The story at its most basic level is about a man who visits his old friend in a house which is seemingly under some sort of supernatural hex. The way Poe goes into such detail describing the characters and their personal reactions to the events that take place during the story help the reader to stay close to the actions of the story. Additionally Poe describes the house so well that the reader can easily picture the dilapidated mess as if standing in front of it.

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1669 Words | 7 Pages

For instance , the images such as “ decayed trees “ also reveals that the house is located far away from urban which is portrayed as “

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910 Words | 4 Pages

In “The Fall of the House of Usher” the tone gives off an eerie and bizarre feeling. This is similar to many of Poe’s other short stories but this piece the most. The tone is gloomy compared to “The Black Cat” that Poe has also written. The author starts off the story with immense details of the setting. The readers get a dark vibe from these details.

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