The fall of the house of usher4/29/2023 ![]() The two are often described as reading together late at night by the fire in the den. This intimate relationship between the Narrator and Roderick is solidified by the leisure activities they engage in together. ![]() The romantic tones to their relationship amplify as the two men begin to spend extended periods of time together, These vivid memories suggest that Narrator has spent a lot of time committing Roderick’s face to memory, something friends do not tend to do. However, after this extremely intensive analysis of Roderick’s unforgettable face, readers are told that this is no longer what Roderick looks like, but how Narrator remembers him. The great detail in which Narrator describes the aesthetically pleasing nature of Roderick’s chin suggests his physical attraction to the male form. Prominent chins tend to be associated with masculinity and having a defined jawline is a troupe of rugged male love interests. Narrator goes on to describe Roderick’s “finely-molded” and “prominent” chin and jawline (7). Next, he addresses Roderick’s lips, the body part used for kissing – romantic, physical affection – as having a “beautiful curve” to them (7). It is no coincidence that this sounds a lot more romantic than it does friendly. First, he notes Roderick’s eyes as “luminous beyond comparison” (7), which is interesting because eyes are often times referred to as a window to the soul. As the two men see each other for the first time, Narrator details the “vivacious warmth” (7) with which he was greeted before giving readers an in-depth analysis of Roderick’s once “remarkable” (7) face. ![]() The romantic nature of these men’s relationship is intensified upon Narrator’s arrival at the House of Usher. From the beginning of the narrative, readers can see that there is something deeper than friendship between Roderick Usher and Narrator. The text even describes the previous friendship as “intimate” (5), a term often associated with the physical aspects of a romantic relationships. This seems a bit extreme of a long lost childhood friend however, it seems believable for long lost lovers. He does this because of a letter expressing Roderick’s “earnest desire” (Poe, 5) to see him. “The Fall of the House of Usher” begins with the Narrator dropping everything to attend to a man, Roderick Usher that he hasn’t seen or heard from in multiple years. The intimacy of Roderick and the Narrator’s relationship goes far beyond that of friendship. The fact that homosexuality was viewed as a mental disorder during the time setting of the story, as well as when Poe was writing, along with these pieces of evidence create a clear connection between the homosexuality and “The Fall of the House of Usher”. ![]() Some examples of this are: the unusual closeness of Roderick Usher and Narrator, the leisure activities of Roderick and Narrator, and the physical burial of the feminine. Allusions to homosexuality are presented multiple times throughout the text. irrational this story is speaking to the perceived irrationality, or abnormality, of homosexuality and the inability to have control over sexuality. However, “The Fall of the House of Usher” has a much more specific theme than just rational vs. Many interpretations of this piece see the Narrator as a representation of saneness that is tempted and eventually nearly killed due to his curiosity of insanity, embodied by Roderick Usher. Edgar Allen Poe’s famous short story “The Fall of the House of Usher” is known for pitting the rational against the irrational.
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