illustration of a dark, menacing cracked house with large, red eyes looking through the windows

The Fall of the House of Usher

by Edgar Allan Poe

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Topics for Discussion

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1. Poe often begins his stories with introductory quotations that connect to the theme and plot. Discuss how de Beranger's quotation is relevant to "The Fall of the House of Usher."

2. Poe's storytelling techniques feature dramatic openings in his short stories. Examine Poe's use of word choice and descriptions to comment on the opening of "The Fall of the House of Usher."

3. According to Poe's literary theory, a story should focus on creating a "single effect." Identify the single effect in this story and explain how it is established in the opening. How is this effect reflected in the setting, characters, and symbols?

4. The story includes obvious symbols such as the house and "The Haunted Palace." What do these symbols represent?

5. Describe how the physical appearance of the house's exterior relates to Roderick, Madeline, and the Usher family.

6. At the beginning of the narrative, Roderick's eyes are described as bright and luminous, but by the end, they are described as having "utterly lost their luminousness." What might explain this change? Does a similar transformation occur in Roderick's overall appearance? If so, elaborate.

7. Although not as prominent as in "The Masque of Red Death," "The Fall of the House of Usher" features some color symbolism. Identify the colors associated with the Usher house, Roderick, and Madeline. What colors are present in "The Haunted Palace," and what might they suggest?

8. A critic has suggested that Madeline is a vampire. Using specific details from the story, either support or refute this claim.

9. At the story's conclusion, Roderick refers to the narrator as a madman: "Madman! I tell you that she now stands without the door!" Explain why Roderick says this.

10. How effective is the storm as a gothic literary device at the story's end? What other novels, stories, or films employ a similar technique?

11. What details in the opening of the story foreshadow its conclusion?

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