Discussion Questions

Gloomy, dark, scary (Gothic)
 “dull, dark, soundless autumn day”
 “clouds hung oppressively”
 “alone”
 “melancholy (sad) house of Usher”



“Direct line of descendents”
Paintings, music – “Fuseli” and “von Weber”
Decorative- “tapestries” and “armorial
trophies”





Has a mental condition
“cadaverousness”- looks like a dead person
Sloppy and unclean- hair grown out, tired
Sad- talks about dying and worried about his
sister
Much different from when he was a boy


“evil things in robes of sorrow”- Usher’s grief
for himself and his sister
“hideous throng”- wild mind of Usher



Always music playing
Dream like paintings
Difficult to tell the difference between reality
and dreams (Fuseli paintings)


The crack in the wall- his mind
Decayed trees- death


He wants to show a strong bond- both
physically (twins) but mentally as well. They
are nearly the same person in thought and
action
When Madeline dies, Roderick fully loses his
mind

Roderick buries Madeline alive
 He is trying to end/cover up his insanity just as he
is trying to end/cover up Madeline’s life

The house falls down
 “fissure widened”
 “Mighty walls rushing asunder”

The family is finished
 Both Roderick and Madeline die

Fear-Surprise
 He thinks he has killed Madeline, but then she
shows up alive
 Pg. 309 “bore him to the floor a corpse”

We need mental and physical health to
survive