Gothic Romanticism: Hawthorne, Poe and Baudelaire

Gothic Romanticism: Hawthorne, Poe and Baudelaire 

 

There are many interpretations of “The Fall of the House of Usher”. One interpretation suggests that Usher’s nervousness and weakness are the results of Madeline Usher’s being a vampire. Using details from the story, write an analysis of the story that supports this interpretation

Throughout the story there are many aspects that can be used to determine that Madeline is a vampire. One could clearly make that connection from where it says that she is living in the grave. To the best of Ushers knowledge, Madeline was dead, so seeing he standing right outside the door gives the impression that she has risen from the dead; not unlike that of which a vampire would do. Another factor is when she falls on her brother rendering him a corpse. Now, usually mere body contact does not induce such drastic outcomes, definitely not death. Going alongside that we know that they screwed the casket shut. So, having an abundance of physical strength would be needed in order to even imagine an idea of breaking through a locked and sealed tomb.  Not to mention that she was dead, meaning that even if that was a possibility, she would be weak, not strong enough to break through her tomb. When given the evidence to look at it isnt questionable as to why so many people consider Madeline from "The Fall of the House of Usher" a vampire.

How do the Gothic fiction writers express—either directly or indirectly—a criticism of human nature. Explain what the writers criticize about human nature, and how they communicate this criticism to the reader. Do the writers have similar attitudes toward human nature? Explain.

Gothic fiction writers express a criticism of human nature by making it seem implausible to even think as if that of which our minds are forced to wander is what we must be seeing in the world that is around us. The ideas that they express are usually indirectly stated, in that we see little tid-bits of how the author prefers to see things through different eyes. Giving off the feeling that what everyone else considers as the normal to be incompetent and distasteful. The over all attitude is similar in the since that it seems as if they all want to move away from the world to make a save heaven that they could call their own and to wash away the brands that they have been given.