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In the Fall Of The House of Usher, how does Edgar Allan Poe lend the Narrator the qualities of a character like the others? To what extent is he reliable as a narrator?
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In the "Fall Of The House of Usher", how does Edgar Allan Poe lend the Narrator the qualities of a character like the others? To what extent is he reliable as a narrator?
A characteristic of short stories is the omission of introductions. We, as the Reader, are dropped right into the middle of the story and expected to deduce parts of the story and make assumptions for ourselves. In 'The Fall of the House of Usher', the reader is tossed into the Narrator's world and has to find his/her way around. We are given very little or no information about the Narrator, not even a name. This vagueness adds to the uncertainty of the story, hence enhancing its Gothic, 'gloomy' and 'myster(ious)' qualities. The 'desolate' 'landscape' brings about a sense of loneliness, and we find ourselves forming a bond with the narrator, as no one wants to experience a horrific tragedy alone.
The Narrator finds 'the House of Usher' a 'mystery all insoluble' and nor could he 'grapple with the shadowy fancies that crowded upon' him. We are drawn along with the Narrator into the mystery of the House of Usher, which acts as a
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