Setting In The Fall Of The House Of Usher And Where Is Here

The definition of setting is, the context and environment in which something is set. Setting is a very important part of literature. It creates a fuller and more realistic mood for the text. A descriptive setting can also help the plot line of the story. Setting can also help reveal more about the main characters. The settings in both “The Fall of The House of Usher” and “Where is Here” include a very important setting. The settings in these two pieces of literature help to create the correct mood, foreshadow upcoming events, and reveal more information about the characters. First off, setting is a great starting point to creating a certain mood for a piece of literature; as seen in “The Fall of the House of Usher,” written by Edgar Allen …show more content…
In the same way that setting sets the mood for the text, it also foreshadows a tragic event. From the very beginning of both of these two texts, there is already a scary mood set; which not only creates tension, but it also lets the reader know that something bad is going to happen. For example, “For years they had lived without incident in their house in a quiet residential neighborhood when, one November evening at dusk, the doorbell rang, and the father went to answer it, and there on his doorstep stood a man he had never seen before.” This line from “Where is Here” foreshadows something strange because it informs the reader that the owners of the house had lived there without any incidents, until one night when a stranger appeared at their door. Clearly, something mysterious is going to occur by the end of the story. Let’s be honest here, what horror themed text/movie ever ends with a happy ending? Rhetorical question, because it’s obvious that the answer is none. No reader will expect a gloomy and mysterious story to have a happy ending in which everything works out perfectly. If the mood is already dark, then the reader knows to expect something even worse to happen. Another example is from “The Fall of The House of Usher,” which is the title itself. The title of the story already foreshadows the ending of the text. Clearly, the house of Usher is going to fall, the reason and cause is still unknown, but it’s obvious that the house will fall in the end. The setting also helps to support this foreshadowing. The description of the ancient house helps to show the true condition of the house on top of the dark mood, foreshadows the fall of the house. Obviously, setting plays a key role in foreshadowing the endings of