TheFalloftheHouseofUsherEdgarAllanPoe1839Thehousemightlooksomethinglikethis(fromaphotographbySimonMarsdeninhisVisionsofPoe)plotThenarratorwasinvitedtoaccompanyhisillfriendintheHouseofUsherandhebecomefamiliarwiththelifeofMr.Usher.Attherequestoftheowner,hehelpedhiminthearrangementsforthetemporaryentombmentofMadeline.Duringarainingnight,thenarratorreadastoryforUsherwantingtorelievehishorror.Bothofthemwerefrightenedbythecoincidencesofthestoryandthefact.Usherwasfrightenedtodeathbyseeinghissisterwalkingoutofthecoffin.AtlastMadelinediedwithhisbrother.ThenarratorescapedfromtheHouseofUsherandsawitcollapsedintheblood-redmoon.小說寫的是一個(gè)古老的家族中一對(duì)孿生兄妹“毀滅”的故事。妹妹病魔纏身，哥哥因思想久被壓抑而精神失常。妹妹病重，哥哥邀請(qǐng)摯友前來相伴，摯友應(yīng)邀而至。后來哥哥把妹妹活埋，可在一個(gè)風(fēng)雨交加的夜晚，妹妹又破棺而出，死在已經(jīng)暈死過去的哥哥的懷里，摯友倉皇逃出古屋后，古屋在風(fēng)雨中倒塌在屋旁的池塘里。

Usher:Thehousemadepeopletoogloomytolivein,buthehadtoliveinitasthedirectlineofdescenttocarryouthisdutyUsherlovedhissisterverymuch,butMadelinesufferedalotfromhermaladyandwasgoingtodieHeputhissisterlivinginthetombtodecreasesomefear,butonthecontraryitcausedgreaterfearanddrovehimtodie.ThefearfromhisheartandthefearcausedbytheenvironmentaroundhimThe“houseofUsher”hastwomeaningsThephysicaldwellingThefamilyline,orlineage“theentirefamilylayinthedirectlineofdescent”

Thecentralthemeof“TheFalloftheHouseofUsher”isterrorthatarisesfromthecomplexityandmultiplicityofforcesthatshapehumandestiny.Dreadful,horrifyingeventsresultnotfromssingle,uncomplicatedcircumstances.InPoe’sstory,theHouse