The Fall of the House of Usher
What do these physical details show about Usher's mental state and emotions.
Unit: Inside the Nightmare
Story: The Fall of the House of Usher
Paragraph: 30
Unit: Inside the Nightmare
Story: The Fall of the House of Usher
Paragraph: 30
The rotting house reflects Usher's mental and physical state. The narrator notices that Usher is a shell of his former self when he first sees him. After Madeline's death, the narrator sees Usher becoming more and more withdrawn and more and more distant. Because he and Madeline were twins, he believes that a part of Usher died with her. Usher appears more and more confused and unable to communicate with the narrator. There is no question that Usher is having a mental breakdown, and the narrator is watching Roderick lose his mind as the story continues until the narrator leaves the mansion just before it all crashes down on the Ushers.