...Briana Eng 201 Final Paper 20 April 2015 Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher: Literary Elements Exemplify Gothic Style As the Romantic Movement swept through nineteenth century American literature, Edgar Allan Poe emerged as one of the central literary figures of the Romantic era. Along with other authors like Nathaniel Hawthorne, Poe’s Romantic style of writings often introduced his readers to the dark side of literature present during the time. As Poe sets out to explore and expose different elements of darkness within humanity, he familiarizes his readers with the experience of fear and horror that are so commonly present throughout his works. As a result of the recurrent themes of fear, horror and mystery that he elicits through his writings, Poe is often credited as one of the most important writers of Gothic fiction, an extension of the romantic style of writing. While most of his works of fiction are told from the perspective of a first person narrator, in Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher he implores the use of the peripheral narrator to introduce his readers to the many elements in the story that exemplify his distinctly gothic style. By allowing readers into the mind of the narrator, Poe gives his audience the opportunity to discover, analyze and interpret different key literary devices used to highlight important characteristics that classify the gothic style of writing. Utilizing the peripheral narrators experience with mystery and suspense allows...
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...tale The Fall of the House of Usher is often considered as one of Poe's most sophisticated and therefore a lot of alternative critical interpretations are given. This tale might even be Poe's tale with the most reviews. These reviews mainly deal with the decay of the house or the role of Roderick Usher (cf. Magistrale 66). That is the reason why I have chosen this short story of Edgar Allan Poe. I was amongst other things fascinated by the complex composition and the impossibility of understanding the story with the first reading. I will analyze Poe's tale with regard to comparing the degeneration of the house to the degeneration of one of the main characters, Roderick Usher. At first I will sum up how the mansion and Roderick Usher are characterized, thereupon I will analyze how you can regain the description of the mansion in the description of Roderick Usher and why they have to collapse together in the end and explain it amongst others with the help of Poe's 'theory of totality' and symbolism. The Outside: Description of the House of Usher The description of the House of Usher can be divided into two parts. In the first one it is said that the mansion in which Roderick Usher is living together with his sister Lady Madeline lays in a grim and plain neighborhood. The narrator, who is an old childhood friend of Roderick Usher and sees and describes the scenery, tells the reader of a strong dark feeling which overcomes him, when he sees the House of Usher for the...
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...being suspense, symbolism and Gothic elements. In "The Fall of the House of Usher" Poe utilizes suspense in order to bring forth fear in his writing. In the story the narrator states "Vigilae Mortuorum secundum Chorum Ecclesiae Maguntinae...the wild ritual of this work...of preserving[Lady Madeline's] corpse"(Poe 304). Now this embeds suspense into the readers thoughts because they in turn understand that the narrator is also in fear of the insanity his friend is experiencing due to the death of his beloved sister. Later in the story the narrator explains a meeting with Roderick Usher stating "his countenance was...wan...a species of mad hilarity in his eyes... evidently[restraining]hysteria"(306). Suspense is yet again brought into the picture with the narrators explanation of Usher. Roderick is described as...
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... Poe wrote many poems and stories. For example, he wrote, “The Masque of the Red Death,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and the poem, “For Annie.” All of these were written by Poe, and each one represents death, and desolation. When Poe was two years old, his mother, Elizabeth Poe passed away. He was then adopted by a wealthy family, but Poe never received any money. He lived a poor life until he married his cousin Virginia. Then, Virginia died and Poe “collapsed from stress.” All of the deaths of his loved ones’ affected his writings, causing him to write with sorrow...
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...Reflections of the fall of the House of Usher In the beginning I thought this story would be very difficult for me, so I read the Chinese translation version first. Actually at that time I couldn’t understand it and the impression that it left with me was vague. I still dwelled on the end part of the story and I found this kind of fiction is much to my appetite, so I read the original edition of it. Now I would like to write down my reflections of this story in three aspects. Firstly, I find the symbolism is adopted in this fiction. The title is the fall of the House of Usher. I think the fall not only refer to the house’s collapse, but also the fall of the Usher family. The house also refers to both the house and the family. Besides, the bridge over the tarn symbolizes “I” who is the narrator in this fiction. It also means the bridge like the narrator is the only connection for Usher family to outside world. The ghastly images inside is a hint of the madness of Roderick and Madeline. Secondly, the description of atmosphere in the fall of the House of Usher is very carefully. Many words are repeated in the description like ghastly, fancy, agitation etc. I think these descriptions and repetitions emphasis the Gothic horror. They help readers to draw a picture of the house in their mind — typical Gothic architecture, ghastly gallery… When I read these description, I connected them with supernatural power. It is plausible that Roderick's sickness is a result of the...
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...Philipps-Universität Marburg FB 10: Fremdsprachliche Philologien Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik Class: Academic Writing | Instructor: Dr. Johanna Heil The House in “The Yellow Wallpaper” Ambivalence or Brilliance? Name: Anas Asmaeil Module: Literary Studies: History Semesters Studied: 1 Address: Adam-Krafft.7, 35039, Marburg Email: Shoqarqwa@hotmail.com Date of Submission: February 29, 2016 Student ID: 2739275 Table of Contents: 1. Introduction 1 2. [Main Part I] 2.1 Gothic Element 2.2 Feminism 3. Conclusion 1 [Bibliography] 1. Introduction: “All meanings, we know, depend on the key of interpretation.” By Georg Eliot It goes without saying that the more one ponders upon the masterpiece written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper”, the more compelled one finds themselves to, not only reverence what she brought forth, but to also acclaim the diverse interpretations one can come up with of a text written well over a century ago. The story talks about a woman who is diagnosed with "temporary nervous depression—a slight hysterical tendency" (Gilman 1) and thus is sentenced by her physician to a rest cure. Following her husband’s and doctor’s orders, her suffering grows worse and worse and signs of depression, anxiety and dissociation manifest, quite the opposite of what was supposed to happen. Having the ability to scare and horrify the reader, this unique story had been considered as a classic...
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...Edgar Allen Poe was obsessed with cats and often wrote with a cat on his shoulder. One of his quotes where “I wish i could write as mysterious as a cat”(BrainyQuote.com). Poe was in the army and was a sergeant major until he was discharged. In 1848 after his wife’s death in 1847, Poe attempted to commit suicide by ingesting opiates. Due to the horrific experiences in his life had a lot to do with his writing style. Edgar Allen Poe was born in Boston Massachusetts, January 19,1809 (Poets.org).Poe had a father and a mother who were both famous actors who died when Poe was three years old. As Poe got older he attended the University of Virginia (Poets.org).Soon after he was forced to leave because he was in gambling debt and John...
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...From How to Read Literature Like a Professor Thomas C. Foster Notes by Marti Nelson 1. Every Trip is a Quest (except when it’s not): a. A quester b. A place to go c. A stated reason to go there d. Challenges and trials e. The real reason to go—always self-knowledge 2. Nice to Eat With You: Acts of Communion a. Whenever people eat or drink together, it’s communion b. Not usually religious c. An act of sharing and peace d. A failed meal carries negative connotations 3. Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires a. Literal Vampirism: Nasty old man, attractive but evil, violates a young woman, leaves his mark, takes her innocence b. Sexual implications—a trait of 19th century literature to address sex indirectly c. Symbolic Vampirism: selfishness, exploitation, refusal to respect the autonomy of other people, using people to get what we want, placing our desires, particularly ugly ones, above the needs of another. 4. If It’s Square, It’s a Sonnet 5. Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before? a. There is no such thing as a wholly original work of literature—stories grow out of other stories, poems out of other poems. b. There is only one story—of humanity and human nature, endlessly repeated c. “Intertexuality”—recognizing the connections between one story and another deepens our appreciation and experience, brings multiple layers of meaning to the text, which we may not be conscious of. The more consciously...
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...DO NOT WRITE ON THIS PACKET!Write your name, period number, and the correct answer for each question on your answer sheet. Take your time and choose your answers carefully! | | | Tone, Style, and Mood | 1. | The footsteps were coming closer. I knew I had to get out of there fast. Looking desperately around, I finally spotted a small window at the end of the room, a beacon of light in the dark, rancid basement. I sprinted and leapt up to grab a ceiling pipe. Thankfully, the pipe was close enough to the window to allow me to swing my body through. My enemy was making his way down the hall, bursting open door after door. I needed to break through this window in two tries to make it out in time. What is the mood of the passage? | | | | A. | timid | | B. | cheerful | | C. | sorrowful | | D. | daring | Write your response here: | I was having a crazy dream. For some reason, my face was covered in sticky honey, and a bear was charging toward me! It pounced on me and started licking my face! Yuck. I quickly jerked awake to escape, but for some reason the licking didn't stop! I also realized that something small was running back and forth across my chest. I opened my eyes, and there staring back at me was a puppy! "Awesome!" I yelled. I've wanted a puppy for so long, and here was this adorable brown creature looking up at me. I suddenly realized that today was my birthday! I looked at the doorway and saw my mother smirking...
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...From ancient times, in every culture, humans have told stories to explain what goes on in the world around them, to honor people,to celebrate achievements,and to communicate human value ( Chugston, 2014). Both of these short stories achieved this goal. Each story was able to captivate you. The authors made you fall in love with the characters. You wanted to read more. “The Welcome Table” and “Country Lovers” showed sides of racism that took place in completely different parts of the world. Each author used their literary and keen writing skills in order to get the reader to completely understand the point each one of them was trying to make. In the short stories, “The Welcome Table” by Alice Walker and “Country Lovers by Nadine Gordimer, Racism is the theme and highlight of each one. Both stories are discussing racial issues but they are two completely different stories and the authors begin each one in a completely opposite fashion. '”The Welcome Table” was written by Margaret Walker. Walker was published under her maiden name. She was best known for her poem "For My People," published in 1942, and her best-selling novel, Jubilee, based on her what her family went through during slavery and immediately after the Civil War, it was published in 1966. She was born in Birmingham, Alabama., Walker was a resident of Jackson, Miss., and was a professor emeritus at Jackson State College. She taught English and was also a director of the Institute for the Study of History, Life...
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...Beso, Luiz Miguel B. BSE EN 2-1 Literature Students are asked to write literary analysis essays because this type of assignment encourages you to think about how and why a poem, short story, novel, or play was written. To successfully analyze literature, you’ll need to remember that authors make specific choices for particular reasons. Your essay should point out the author’s choices and attempt to explain their significance. Another way to look at a literary analysis is to consider a piece of literature from your own perspective. Rather than thinking about the author’s intentions, you can develop an argument based on any single term (or combination of terms) listed below. You’ll just need to use the original text to defend and explain your argument to the reader. Allegory - narrative form in which the characters are representative of some larger humanistic trait (i.e. greed, vanity, or bravery) and attempt to convey some larger lesson or meaning to life. Although allegory was originally and traditionally character based, modern allegories tend to parallel story and theme. William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily- the decline of the Old South Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde- man’s struggle to contain his inner primal instincts District 9- South African Apartheid X Men- the evils of prejudice Harry Potter- the dangers of seeking “racial purity” Character - representation of a person, place, or thing performing traditionally human activities...
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...Poetry, prose, sonnets, drama, plays, short stories and novels are concepts that first came to my mind when I think in the question “What is literature?” The definition of literature has change over time. The only thing that is certain about the meaning of literature is that the definition will change. The concepts about what is literature about also change over time. In order to get a clear understanding of exactly what literature is, first we need to know its definition. According to the Merriam-Webster, literature is defined by “the body of written works produced in a particular language, country, or age; the body of writings on a particular subject: printed matter.” Literature has to do with letters, but some people often think that literature is only one thing, not knowing that it is composed by several elements that we use every day. These important elements include poems, prose, sonnets, drama, plays, short stories and novels. Poetry is created from the soul. It comes from your emotions and it needs every piece of creativity inside you. It has been called the art of “saying the unsayable” because trough this you can express your feelings with no limit, and nobody can tell you that is wrong. If you make a poem and you think it is not good enough, well it is no good. You as the author or the reader, can only judge if it is good or but for you but maybe for some one else it is the opposite as it is for you. A good place to start when looking back at how poetry...
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...narrative rendering of the black community along with her protagonist problematic relationship with himself, his family, and that community all lend them-selves to the very definition of a classic bildungsroman tale; though it is so much richer and fuller than anything that word could connote. A bildungsroman can be defined as “a class of novel that deals with the coming-of-age or formative years of an individual”. Furthermore, in a bildungsroman, a main protagonist usually undergoes some transformation after seeking truth or philosophical enlightenment. In Morrison’s novel, the plot follows the main protagonist Milkman as he matures within his community while developing relationships with others and discovering his individual identity. The symbolism of flying is very relevant to issues of identity. Milkman struggles to break away from dependence of Macon II is really the main struggle throughout the novel on an individual level. As he tries to break away and reach his full potential, he is able to fly at Guitar. He does not do this alone however, through all of the differing point of views, Morrison and her characters guide Milkman onto the path of self-discovery. Many examples are in the story, from Robert Smith flying, to Milkman peeing on Lena, and ending with Milkman flying at Guitar, and there are any more throughout. Morrison's general theme of the novel certainly had to do with one's struggle for identity Through the enlightenment of this one man, his...
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...Corridors of Transition between 12 Angry Men and 12 “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice”. Abraham Lincoln “The virtue of justice consists in moderation, as regulated by wisdom”. Aristotle ”Nobody gets justice. People only get good luck or bad luck”. Orson Welles Justice = mid-12c., "the exercise of authority in vindication of right by assigning reward or punishment;" also "quality of being fair and just," from Old French justice "justice, legal rights, jurisdiction" (11c.), from Latin iustitia "righteousness, equity," from iustus "upright, just" . The Old French word had widespread senses, including "uprightness, equity, vindication of right, court of justice, judge." The word began to be used in English c.1200 as a title for a judicial officer. Meaning "right order, equity" is late 14c. Justice of the peace first attested early 14c. In the Mercian hymns, Latin iustitia is glossed by Old English rehtwisnisse. To do justice to (someone or something) "render fully and fairly showing due appreciation" is from 1670s. This word, with such a strong connotation, influenced and formed the basis of many philosophical...
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...The Gift of the Magi Themes Love "Gift of the Magi" is the story of a poor, young couple whose love for each other is the most important thing in their lives. Such is their love that they're led to sacrifice their most valuable possessions to find Christmas gifts for each other. The warm home they make together contrasts with the drabness of their poverty and the dreary world outside. Their love seems to know no bounds, though Della (the wife) worries about how her sacrifice will affect her husband because of how it affects her looks. If ever there were a story with the message that all you need to be happy is love, this is it. Sacrifice The two main characters in "Gift of the Magi" are a husband and wife who give up their most precious possessions to be able to afford gifts for each other on Christmas Eve. The story seems to be all about sacrifice. We watch Della go through the process of deciding to make the sacrifice and going through with it, only to discover that her husband has made the same sacrifice. The story's narrator assures us that in their willingness to give up all they have, they have proven themselves the wisest of all gift-givers. It might remain unclear, though, exactly what their sacrifice has accomplished, or how it has affected them. Wealth In many ways, "Gift of the Magi" is a story about what it means for something to be valuable. Does something's value lie in how much money it is worth? Or are other things more valuable than money? The main characters...
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