Summary of The Fall of the House of Usher
1. Time: in the autumn of the year
2. Place: the House of the Usher
3. Person: Roderick Usher;
Mr. Usher’s Sister, Madeline;
Mr. Usher’s Friend, I.
4. Background: A dull, dark, and soundless day;
Scene: upon the mere house, the simple landscape features of the domain, upon the bleak wells, upon the vacant eye-like windows, upon a few rank sedges and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees. That is really horrible.
5. The cause of the story: In a dull, dark, and soundless autumn, the author had received a letter from his friend, Roderick Usher, who wanted to invite him to the house of Usher. Mr. Usher hope the cheerfulness of his friend’s society can give alleviation to his malady. But the House of Usher gave an uncomfortable feel to his friend. When I met Mr. Usher, I found his countenance worn a mingled expression of low cunning and perplexity, his action was alternately vivacious and sullen. Mr. Usher’s malady was really serious.
6. The development of the story: Usher’s sister, the lady Madeline, has suffered from the catalepsy, which made Usher very sad. Then I spend several days with Usher, the lady Madeline’s name was never mentioned between Usher and me. During these days, Usher sang, painted and wrote poems. One evening Usher informed me that the lady Madeline passed away, Usher stated his attention of preserving her corpse for a fortnight, previously to its final interment, in one of the numerous vaults within the main walls of the building. At the request of Usher, I aided him in the arrangements for the temporary entombment. We deposited their mournful burden upon trestles within this region of horror, replaced and screwed down the lid, and secured the door of iron, made their way, with toil, into the scarcely less gloomy apartment of the upper portion of the house.
7. The climax of the story: A few days after the funeral, Usher’s ordinary manner
had vanished. His ordinary occupations were neglected or forgotten. He roamed from chamber to chamber with hurried, unequal, and objectless step. His countenance had assumed a more ghastly hue. And his condition terrified infected me. Especially, upon retiring to bed late in the night of the seventh or eighth day after the entombment of the lady Madeline, I experienced the full power of fantastic feeling. I heard some sounds, but I did not know where the sound came and I found it was horrible. I cannot sleep any more that night. I had taken few turns in this manner, Usher stepped on with a light. Usher became madder; Usher asked me if I had seen it. I was scared, so I took the Mad Trist of Sir Launcelot Canning, and read it to Usher. Then the sounds came, I stared convulsively to my feet. Usher told me that the lady Madeline did die, we put her into the coffin when she still alive. Then the lady Madeline stood without the door. There was blood upon her white robes, and the evidence of some bitter struggle upon every portion of her emaciated frame. She remained trembling and reeling to and fro upon the threshold, then with a low moaning cry, her brother fell and in her horrible and finally her brother died. I run out of the House of Usher.
8. The end of the story: I run out the house of Usher, and house had been ruined. Everything became silent.
