edgar allen poe

Conflicts

• passion, emotions(vs. intellect, reason)

• individuality(vs. the collective group)

• the irrational(vs. the rational)

• human nature(vs. God, religion, government)

Hoe does Roderick die?

Madeline appears in the doorway, and jumps on Roderick, killing him

Hoe is Roderick not himself?

he talks gibberish and goes into trances

How are the windows in "TFOTHOU" described as?

vacant and eye-like

How can Gothic literature be described?

fascinating and frightening

How does Madeline die?

a bodily illness

How does Poe achieve his single effect in "TFOTHOU"?

setting Narrator's POV peek into madness, insanity gothic elements such as claustrophobic spaces and supernatural elements

How does Poe further explore the human mind (mental) and body (physical) connection?

what would happen if the connection between mind and body were severed and assigned to separate people

How does the story culminate?

the narrator runs, the fissure enlargens, and there is a scream coming from the house as the Hosue of Usher Falls

Roderick needs things a certain way in the story. Why is this?

he is hypersenative

Time period?

1800s

What are human beings connected to?

nature

What are moods in Gothic literature?

heightened emotions (screaming, fainting, nervous behaviors) feelings of tension and suspense terror

What are supernatural elements?

things with no rational explanation ghosts, poltergeists, spirits mysterious, gaseous vapors

What are the examples of doubling at the end of the short story?

cracking of steps echo grating sound ringing noise

What are the settings usually in Gothic literature?

old House or castle ornate places dark claustrophobic corridors or rooms confinement remote, rugged landscapes

What can we find in nature?

relief and a sense of spirituality, God

What compels the narrator to get out of bed to look for Roderick and leave?

a spirit visits him

What did Poe's single effect achieve?

terror

What do Roderick's mind and Madeline's body resemble?

how they are twins representing two dimensions of one personality

What does Madeline represent?

the body

What does Madeline's physical death coincide with?

the collapse of both Roderick's sanity and the Usher house

What does Poe explore in "TFOTHOU"?

the dark side of human psychology the relationship between the human body and mind

What does Roderick represent?

the mind

What does Roderick reveal while in a trance?

that he buried Madeline alive

What does Roderick's hair resemble?

the tangled vines on the house

What does Roderick's song about the haunted house resemble?

the House of Usher

What does the house in decay relate to?

the two twins slowly fading away with it

What does the narrator constantly blame for Roderick's behavior?

the furniture

What does the Narrator notice after Madeline's death?

the twins connection is more than meets the eye

What does the small painting depict?

a claustrophobic tunnel

What does the zig-zag from the top of the house to the bottom represent?

the broken connection between the mind and body

What elements does Poe use?

dark ones

What is in a zig-zag from the top of the house to the bottom?

a fissure

WHat is ironic about Roderick and his favorite book?

he and his house are like and old forgotten place

What is nature's duality?

a beautiful, peaceful, meditative space, BUT ALSO wild, mysterious, dangerous, and frightening

What is Roderick's favorite book about?

a forgotten old Church

What is single effect?

each element of a story should contribute to one single emotional effect & readers should be able to experience that emotion from the opening sentence to the end

What is the story that Roderick reads about?

a knight who fights a dragon

What is the weather like towards the end of "TFOTHOU"?

stormy

What kind of story is "TFOTHOU"?

a short story

What literary device does Poe experiment with?

doubling (mirroring)

When does Roderick lose his mind?

when Madeline dies

Where do Roderick and the Narrator bury Madeline?

in a wall near the Narrator's sleeping quarters

Who are the 3 main characters in "TFOTHOU"?

unnamed Narrator (1st POV) Roderick Usher (old friend of the Narrator) Madeline Usher (Roderick's twin sister)

Why does Poe want to explore what happens when there is a crack in the mind and body?

he wants to see if they can both survive

Writing starts to focus on

• human psychology

• the mind

• madness