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... Edgar Allan Poe often uses the motif of premature or concealed burials in his literary works. ... Poe writes this story from the perspective of Montresor who vows revenge against Fortunato in an effort to support his time-honored family motto: "Nemo me impune lacessit" or "No one assails me with impunity. ... ) Poe does not intend for the reader to sympathize with Montresor because Fortunato has wronged him, but rather to judge him. ... Kenneth Silverman, in his book Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance, makes reference to the fact that it is not an accident or similarity that Poe chooses this particular motto. It is one that would remind Poe of another Scotsman, John Allan, his foster father. ... (Silverman 317) Stuart and Susan Levine, editors of The Short Fiction of Edgar Allan Poe: An Annotated Edition, does not view Poes story as just a clever tale of revenge, but instead, see it as an anti-aristocratic commentary. ... Poe’s tale is related to innumerable articles in American magazines of the period about the scandalous goings-on of continental nobility. ... Poe further adds to this effect by calling the character Fortunato (who is anything but fortunate), and dressing him in a clown or a fools costume since Montresor intends to make a fool of him as part of his dark plan. ... " Due to limited medical knowledge or to suit his purposes here, Poe treats Madeline and Roderick as if they were identical twins two parts of one personality instead of fraternal twins. ... One approach to understanding the true significance of this story lies in the many connections that Poe establishes for the reader. ... Poe uses the phrase "House of Usher" to refer to both the decaying physical structure and the last of the "all time-honored Usher race. ... " ( Some of Poes critics like to say that Poe is describing himself here. ... In "The Fall of the House of Usher," Poe explores the inner workings of the human imagination but, at the same time, cautions the reader about the destructive dangers within. ... Davidson in his book Poe: A Critical Study, "The Fall of the House of Usher" can be interpreted as "a detailed account of the derangement and dissipation of an individuals personality. ... Not only does Poe talk about premature burials in his work, but he also deals with concealed burials in books such as “The Tale-Tale Heart and “The Black Cat”. ... " Poe writes this story from the perspective of the narrator, a man whose ". ... " Telling the story from the first person point of view (a perspective that Poe used quite frequently), intensifies the effect of moral shock and horror. ... Poe constructed this story in such a way that the events of the tale remain somewhat ambiguous. ... As in other Poe stories ( "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Gold Bug"), biting and mutilation appear. ... Poe relates "eyes" and "teeth" in their single capacity to take in or to incorporate objects. ... Poe’s pronounced use of foreshadowing leads the reader from one event to the next ("one night," "one morning," "on the night of the day," etc. ... Poe is very careful to avoid stating if it is the same eye of which Pluto was deprived. ... What makes this story different from "The Tell-Tale Heart" is that Poe has added a new element to aid in evoking the dark side of the narrator, and that is the supernatural. ... This narrator may be male or female because Poe uses only "I" and "me" in reference to this character. ... Most critics would argue this point by saying that Poe would "assume" that the reader would "know" that the protagonist was male, therefore, he would see no need to identify his sexless narrator. However, Poe was a perfectionist who left very little to guesswork. Could it be that this was no accident or something that he thought would be universally understood, but that Poe was creating a story whose impact could be changed simply by imagining this horrendous and vile deed being committed by a woman? Poe writes this story from the perspective of the murderer of the old man. ... Through the narrator, Poe describes this eye as being pale blue with a film over it, and resembling that of a vulture. ... Or could Poe be referring to a belief whose origins could be traced back to Greece and Rome? ... Would Poe have had knowledge of this rather strange belief? ... In conclusion, the information that has been provided shows that Poe uses the method or style of premature and concealed burials throughout his works.
Approximate Word count = 4917
Approximate Pages = 19.7
(250 words per page double spaced)
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