Who is responsible for the way “The Fall of the House of Usher” ends? In this story by Edgar Allan Poe, Roderick and Madeline Usher are siblings living together in the Usher family home. Madeline has a disease that is very negatively affecting her life, but no one can diagnose the disease. After a short time, she dies and is put in a vault in the basement. Later the reader discovers that she is, in fact, still alive. Madeline seeks out Roderick and murders him, herself dying shortly after. Throughout the decades, it has been considered controversial as to who the blame should be laid upon for the ending result of this tale. In Poe’s story, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Roderick is truly the one who should take full blame for the deaths
…show more content…
Roderick and Madeline appear to have a special type of twin telepathy. They can even see what the other person sees from time to time. Roderick is the one who chooses to put Madeline in a tomb in the basement, and he can see Madeline’s view from within the tomb and even paints it. “A small picture [presents] the interior of an immensely long and rectangular vault or tunnel, with low walls, smooth, white, and without interruption” (Lines 253-255). In this passage, the narrator is describing what he sees on Roderick’s canvas, which he mentions looks strikingly like a vault or casket. This shows that Roderick knows she is still alive, since he knows her eyes are open and viewing the inside of the casket. Roderick even hears his sister calling for him to come retrieve her from the casket, a call which he will never answer. The narrator witnesses Roderick screaming, “Not hear it?- yes, I hear it, and HAVE heard it.” (Line 562) During this passage it is clear that Roderick has heard Madeline beckoning for him, but he has chosen to ignore it. It is evident through Roderick’s telepathy with Madeline that he is aware she is not dead, proving that he is to blame for her staying trapped in the vault, which will lead to both of their …show more content…
Madeline and Roderick have been the only members left of the family for a long time, given that Usher states Madeline was “his sole companion for long years-his last an only relative on earth” (Lines 200-201). Roderick also states that her dying “would leave him (him, the hopeless and frail) the last of the ancient race of the Ushers.” (Line 202-203) Usher fears being completely alone and believes he is not genetically suitable to be the only one in his family line left. Roderick claiming to have such a strong connection with his sister gives even more evidence that his chosen action of leaving her in the vault was
Roderick and Madeline appear to have a special type of twin telepathy. They can even see what the other person sees from time to time. Roderick is the one who chooses to put Madeline in a tomb in the basement, and he can see Madeline’s view from within the tomb and even paints it. “A small picture [presents] the interior of an immensely long and rectangular vault or tunnel, with low walls, smooth, white, and without interruption” (Lines 253-255). In this passage, the narrator is describing what he sees on Roderick’s canvas, which he mentions looks strikingly like a vault or casket. This shows that Roderick knows she is still alive, since he knows her eyes are open and viewing the inside of the casket. Roderick even hears his sister calling for him to come retrieve her from the casket, a call which he will never answer. The narrator witnesses Roderick screaming, “Not hear it?- yes, I hear it, and HAVE heard it.” (Line 562) During this passage it is clear that Roderick has heard Madeline beckoning for him, but he has chosen to ignore it. It is evident through Roderick’s telepathy with Madeline that he is aware she is not dead, proving that he is to blame for her staying trapped in the vault, which will lead to both of their …show more content…
Madeline and Roderick have been the only members left of the family for a long time, given that Usher states Madeline was “his sole companion for long years-his last an only relative on earth” (Lines 200-201). Roderick also states that her dying “would leave him (him, the hopeless and frail) the last of the ancient race of the Ushers.” (Line 202-203) Usher fears being completely alone and believes he is not genetically suitable to be the only one in his family line left. Roderick claiming to have such a strong connection with his sister gives even more evidence that his chosen action of leaving her in the vault was