Comparison of The Fall of the House of Usher and The Telltale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe - Essay Example

Though both the stories "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Telltale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe are told using first person narratives and possess similarities that have to do with the mystery and suspense of the action, differences still abound with regard to tone, language, and the thematic issues of the story. The innate flaws of the character and the metonymic way in which Poe melds the characters with traits demonstrate the use of narrative voice and language to establish a relationship between narrator and reader. This is done in vastly different ways in both the Poe stories. Yet, though the narrative structures are dissimilar and combine with the language to produce distinct atmospheres in the two tales, the settings created by the author demonstrate remarkable similarities of effect. The tale of the House of Usher is told by a narrator who discovers much of the story's substance as the tale unfolds. Nevertheless, he is considered sufficiently trustworthy, as his thoughts are coherent and he feels the mystery of the situation as much as the reader comes to feel it in the earliest moments of the story. The fact that he is so affected by the simple yet strange things in this setting startles him as it intrigues the reader. He considers this fact "unsatisfactory," and that places him in the realms of sanity and garners the trust of the reader. The narrator of "The Tell-tale Heart," from the very beginning, startles the reader with a very abrupt and spastic attitude that gains the immediate mistrust of the reader. The very form of the text is broken by dashes, as the narrator introduces the possibility of his madness in the very first sentence. He goes on to mention "the disease," which further confirms his untrustworthiness. The result of this is that, while the reader unites his interests with the narrator of "The Fall of the House of Usher," the same reader is inclined to feel no sympathy for the narrator of "The Tell-tale Heart." The tension of the suspense is increased in the former tale and decreased in the latter because of the difference in sympathy levels for the two narrators. A mysterious atmosphere exists in both the tales, though the nature of the mystery and reasons for suspense differ. The language and setting used to create these atmospheres are largely responsible for the existence of these differences. On the one hand, "The Tell-tale Heart" is granted a certain psychological mystery as the uncertainty lies in what actions might proceed from the mind (and body) of the narrator. In contrast with this, the mystery of the House of Usher occurs outside the narrator and any dangers present are almost as likely to happen to him as anyone else. The psychological constitution of the narrator of the Tell-tale heart is revealed through the author's use of the language, as he gives the impression of the narrator's picking motives out of thin air. In fact, he at first declares that there was no object for "the idea" that entered his brain, but soon lights upon the old man's eye and declares unconvincingly, "I think it was his eye! yes, it was this!" (121). These inconsistencies create a kind of concentrated fear in the mind of the reader. It differs from the diffuse fear found in the tale of the house of Usher, as this fear comes from not knowing where danger lies. This fear is reflected in the narrative language used by the author. Apart from the story's beginning in the middle of a solitary wooded area, lacking in all light and sound, the description of the House of Usher itself demonstrates the use of language to create a gothic and eerie atmosphere in which all evil seems possible. It was "an atmosphere which had no affinity with the air of heaven, but which had reeked up from the decayed trees, and the gray wall, and the silent tarn, in the form of an inelastic vapor or gas - dull, sluggish, faintly discernible, and leadenhued" (179). The descriptions call forth images of cold death, with the dreary possibility of spirits lurking within the vaporous substance that suffuses the air around the building. The use of color (gray and leadenhued) and texture (inelastic vapor) create this effect. The settings of the tales are further contributors both to the atmosphere as well as to the overall similarities and differences between the two stories. "The Tell-tale Heart" is set mainly in the old man's room where the crime takes place. The claustrophobic atmosphere of the room gives the idea that the old man is relatively cut off from safety. The four walls confine him with the deranged narrator and danger lurks at the foot of his bed. The setting contributes also to the lack of sympathy one has for the narrator, as one gets the idea that the house in which this ungrateful narrator is allowed to live belongs to the old man, and yet he repays him with cruelty. The external atmosphere of 'The Fall of the House of Usher" is one as oppressive and confining as the other tale-and this the narrator reveals in the first paragraph, "when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens" (177). Other aspects of the setting add to the mystery of the tale. The lack of any idea regarding the time and place contributes to a feeling of isolation. This claustrophobic atmosphere is echoed once the narrator gets inside of the House of Usher, as confinement is thrust upon the two inhabitants because of the illness of Roderick's sister. The house itself seems endowed with a mind that seeks to circumscribe and annihilate its inhabitants, and the fact that no branches were allowed the family line adds to the entire atmosphere of constraint in the story. The two stories "The Tell-tale Heart" and "The Fall of the House of Usher" demonstrate an intricate mix of similarities and differences. Both tales present mysterious atmospheres, yet the first finds its mystery and suspense proceeding from within the narrator while the second has it coming from without. Both tales contain language that skilfully contributes to the general impression the reader has of the narrators, but while the impression is unfavorable for the Tell-tale Heart's narrator, the reader tends to sympathize with the narrator of The Fall of the House of Usher. Setting is also used to create these effects, and this demonstrates the author's diversity and skill. Outline I. Introduction Thesis: though the narrative structures are dissimilar and combine with the language to produce distinct atmospheres in the two tales, the settings created by the author demonstrate remarkable similarities of effect. II. Body a. Contrast of Trust v. distrust of narrator i. Mental state ii. Role of narrator in mystery b. Contrast of narrative language use i. Structure of language ii. Tone of voice iii. Use of description c. Comparison of Setting i. Confined room ii. Outer oppression in nature III Conclusion Both tales contain language that skilfully contributes to the general impression the reader has of the narrators, but while the impression is unfavorable for the Tell-tale Heart's narrator, the reader tends to sympathize with the narrator of The Fall of the House of Usher. Setting is also used to create these effects, and this demonstrates the author's diversity and skill. Works Cited Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Fall of the House of Usher." Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. New York: Bantam. Poe, Edgar Allan. "Tell-tale Heart." Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. New York: Bantam. Read More