In the chilling narrative, The Fall of the House of Usher, Edgar Allan Poe describes the gradual emergence of insanity within both the narrator and his companion, Roderick. However, beneath the surface of the relationship that is exhibited between the duo lies a more complex parallel: Roderick and Madeline. Roderick and Madeline are not only described as twins, but also are strongly alluded to be symbolically connected together to the house. Poe symbolically portrays the deterioration of the mind by describing the relationship between the conscious versus unconscious, Roderick versus Madeline within the House of Usher.
Not only is it symbolically evident that Roderick and Madeline represent the conscious and the unconscious, but physically …show more content…
Roderick and Madeline are both twins, but are of opposing genders. They exist as two beings who have the same parents, live in the same house, and have the same blood running through their veins, but have differing structures. Despite their conflicting physical and psychological attributes, the duo lives in eerie harmony within the House of Usher, the mind of the conscious and unconscious. The house itself not only has a symbolic connection to the twins, but has a life-like qualities, the narrator noticing that the “windows [seemed] to peer at him”. This perception of a living house reflects the fact within the short story that any actions that the characters commence affect the house, any steps that the unconscious and conscious make will affect the mind. When Madeline supposedly dies, Roderick begins to morph into a complete maniac. With the thought of his other half, the balance to his unconsciousness being present, he loses his mind. The house itself is not immediately affected by Madeline’s false passing because she is not truly dead, the balance is not actually tipped. However, when Roderick believes that Madeline had passed, he begins to blame the house for strange noises that he hears around the house. Roderick blames the mind for the noises, the whispers of doubt and dread that now flood throughout his …show more content…
In a physical aspect, Clemm resembles Madeline because of their shared illnesses, Clemm’s illnesses beginning in 1842, after the publication of the narrative (Sova). Roderick also resembles Poe in terms of his love for the arts, his morbid nature, and the fact that everyone in relation to them has died. Just like Poe, all of the family members related to Roderick have died, leaving him only with his sickly woman of his life. These unmistakeable similarities between these relationships not only put a new, personal perspective on the characters within The Fall of the House of Usher, but also open the possibility of a romantic relationship between Roderick and
Not only is it symbolically evident that Roderick and Madeline represent the conscious and the unconscious, but physically …show more content…
Roderick and Madeline are both twins, but are of opposing genders. They exist as two beings who have the same parents, live in the same house, and have the same blood running through their veins, but have differing structures. Despite their conflicting physical and psychological attributes, the duo lives in eerie harmony within the House of Usher, the mind of the conscious and unconscious. The house itself not only has a symbolic connection to the twins, but has a life-like qualities, the narrator noticing that the “windows [seemed] to peer at him”. This perception of a living house reflects the fact within the short story that any actions that the characters commence affect the house, any steps that the unconscious and conscious make will affect the mind. When Madeline supposedly dies, Roderick begins to morph into a complete maniac. With the thought of his other half, the balance to his unconsciousness being present, he loses his mind. The house itself is not immediately affected by Madeline’s false passing because she is not truly dead, the balance is not actually tipped. However, when Roderick believes that Madeline had passed, he begins to blame the house for strange noises that he hears around the house. Roderick blames the mind for the noises, the whispers of doubt and dread that now flood throughout his …show more content…
In a physical aspect, Clemm resembles Madeline because of their shared illnesses, Clemm’s illnesses beginning in 1842, after the publication of the narrative (Sova). Roderick also resembles Poe in terms of his love for the arts, his morbid nature, and the fact that everyone in relation to them has died. Just like Poe, all of the family members related to Roderick have died, leaving him only with his sickly woman of his life. These unmistakeable similarities between these relationships not only put a new, personal perspective on the characters within The Fall of the House of Usher, but also open the possibility of a romantic relationship between Roderick and