The Fall of the House of Usher

1、-Zhou Qin -Zhou Qin THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER 2021-8-6THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER2The House of Usher, itself doubly referring both to the actual structure and the family, plays a significant role in the story. It is the first character that the narrator introdu

2、ces to the reader, presented with a humanized description: its windows are described as eye-like twice in the first paragraph. The fissure that develops in its side is symbolic of the decay of the Usher family and the house dies along with the two Usher siblings. This connection was emphasized in Ro

3、dericks poem The Haunted Palace which seems to be a direct reference to the house that foreshadows doomTHE HOUSE OF USHER2021-8-6THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER3We learn that the Narrator and Usher were childhood friends. Recently, the Narrator received a letter from Usher. In the letter, Roderick de

4、scribed a certain mental disorder that was plaguing him, and he communicated a desperate desire to see his old companion. Due to the urgent tone of the letter, the Narrator never thought twice; without hesitation he obeyed this very singular summons.“NARRATOR2021-8-6THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER4Ro

5、derick usher（罗德里克.厄舍）Usher, was always excessively reserved and was somewhat mysterious. He belongs to an ancient family that has never put forth an enduring branch. There are hints of incest over the years, but more important is the fact that Usher is now the only male descendant of the line. Telli

6、ngly, he lives not with a wife but with his sister, Madeline.2021-8-6THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER5Madeline usher（玛德琳.厄舍）Then Madeline dies, and everything changes. Even when the Narrator and Usher bury her in the vault, the Narrator notes the mockery of a faint blush upon the bosom and the face, a

7、nd that suspiciously lingering smile upon the lip which is so terrible in death. It is almost as if Madeline were already mocking death (or is in some way still alive), and as though she is already mocking her brother and his friend. It would be possible to say that she does have the last laugh, bre

8、aking free from the vault and killing the raving Roderick-if this irony were not so harrowing and tragic.2021-8-6THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER6Usher wrote a letter to the narrator ,asking the narrator to accompany him for his mental disease. The narrator arrived at the house and entered into the ma

9、nsion ,having a talk with UsherIn the next few days ,he did his best to cheer up Usher .They painted and read.One day evening ,Usher told him Madeline has die(actually not) ,then they put the corpse into the coffin ,which was placed in the vault( (地窖地窖) )In the following days ,Usher took on even pal

10、er hue ,and the narrator was unable to sleep because of nervousnessOne night ,Madelinewalkd out from her coffin ,then Usher was scared to death with Madeline enbraced. The narrator escaped from the falling mansion in a blood-moon night.Plot summary2021-8-6THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER7THE WRITING S

11、TYLE OF THE TALEGoth(哥特式) 哥特式（Goth）最早是文艺复兴时期被用来区分中世纪时期（公元5-15世纪）的艺术风格，以恐怖、超自然、死亡、颓废、巫术、古堡、深渊、黑夜、诅咒、吸血鬼等为标志性元素。哥特式风格用黑暗、恐惧、孤独、绝望的艺术主题，来往于内心世界神圣与邪恶的边缘，描绘在爱与绝望之间的挣扎，嘶叫的痛苦和清醒。2021-8-6THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER8POES GOTHICISM Decadent(颓废) content Grotesque(怪异) images Abnormal psyches Melancholy（忧郁） S

12、upernatural elements Other gothic elements(old temple ,dark and gloom cellar ,coffin ,dead woman.)2021-8-6THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER9ELEMENTS OF GOTHIC WRITING Emphasis on setting Exterior: landscape Interior: houses Castle-like architecture Characters are brooding, secretive Buried family secre

13、ts Long history of family tied to place2021-8-6THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER10S SYMBOLISMYMBOLISMThe collapsing mansion :The collapsing mansion :Fall of the Usher family.The bridge over the tarn :The bridge over the tarn :The narrator and Ushers only link to the outside worldThe name Usher :The nam

14、e Usher :An usher is a doorkeeper ,in this case ,Roderick Usher opened the door to the frightening world for the narrator. The storm :The storm :The turbulent emotions experienced by characters.2021-8-6THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER111.The desire to isolate themselves from the outside world .2. The

15、image of reality which the narrator and Roderick perceive(感知) ; though the water of the tarn reflects the details exactly ,the image is upside down ,leaving the opening possibility that the narrator and Roderick see a false reality.2021-8-6THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER12POES THEORIES FOR SHORT STOR

16、Y AND ITS EMBODIMENTS IN THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHERu The short story must be of such length as to be read at one sitting (brevity),so as to ensure the totality of impression. u The very first sentence ought to help to bring out the “single effect” of the story.u No word should be used which does

17、 not contribute to the “pre-established” design of the work (compression). u A tale should reveal some logical truth with “the fullest satisfaction” and should end with the last sentence, leaving a sense of finality with the reader. (a certain finality某种结局）某种结局）2021-8-6THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER

18、13BREVITY You wont find much that is irrelevant to the organic whole of the story.2021-8-6THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER14 During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, thro

19、ugh a singularly dreary tract of country ; and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. 那年秋天，一个阴沉、昏暗、岑寂的日子，乌云低垂，厚重地笼罩着大地。整整一天，我孤零零地骑着马，驰过乡间一片无比萧索的旷野。暮色四合之际，令人忧伤的厄榭府终于遥遥在望。SINGLE EFFECT2021-8-6THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER15 I looked

20、 upon the scene before me - upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain - upon the bleak walls - upon the vacant eye-like windows - upon a few ranks - and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees - with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation

21、more properly than to the after-dream of the reveller upon opium - the bitter lapse into every day. 荒凉的垣墙 空洞的眼睛 枯槁的树干 心里真是愁苦至极 苦痛COMPRESSION2021-8-6THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER16A CERTAIN FINALITY From that chamber, and from that mansion, I fled aghast. The storm was still abroad in all its wrath

22、as I found myself crossing the old causeway. Suddenly there shot along the path a wild light, and I turned to see whence a gleam so unusual could have issued; for the vast house and its shadows were alone behind me. The radiance was that of the full, setting, and blood-red moon which now shone vividly through that once barely-discernible fissure of which I have before spoken as extending from the roof of the building, in a zig-zag direction, to the base. While I gazed, this fissure rapidly widened -there came a fierce breath of the whirlwind -the entire orb of the satellite burst