In the "Fall of the House of Usher", Poe has written the Gothic narrative par excellence. Discuss.

Essay by kezza07High School, 10th grade October 2006

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Poe has written his Gothic story "The Fall of the House of Usher" to perfection. This statement is correct, especially considering the fascinating, and some what eccentric style of writing used by Poe, which makes his stories particularly Gothic.

The primary reason why "House of Usher" is such a superior Gothic work is because of the language used. Throughout the narrative, Poe uses extremely cinematic language to describe the Gothic feature of the story. This may be done because of the lack of technology in the day of Poe's writing, yet the language is still quite unique. The vocabulary that Poe uses vividly describes the Gothic nature of the setting, which is a key factor in the story. Poe instantly makes the reader aware of the Gothic features of the storey in the first paragraph of the narrative. This is done by the narrator, who uses a string of Gothic words to describe the House, where expressions such as 'gloom' and 'depression' are used to describe the setting.

When the story begins on one "dull, dark and soundless day in the autumn of the year" the reader is instantly conscious of a sense of death and decay, an extremely Gothic characteristic. This vocabulary alerts the reader immediately to the darkness surrounding the House, and paints a precise picture of the setting which Poe intends to use. This extremely descriptive language is a common feature throughout the story, and Poe uses this technique to his advantage.

Another reason why the "House of Usher" is a great Gothic work is because of the way Poe reveals his plot. On many occasions Poe fools the reader into thinking something, whilst he actually intends to end the scenario differently. Such great exposition is what makes this particular narrative such a great one.