NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
Throughout the writings of Edgar Allan Poe, it is common to see a trace of gothic themes in each of them. This common ground can attributed to the life Poe led growing up all the way to the later years of his forty year old life. In may cases in his life, Poe experienced grief and anguish in many instances, which gives insight as to why Poe chose to write about death and torture, things he felt he experienced in his dreary life. Poe wrote in many formats: short story (tale), poems, and also criticisms on himself and other writers. It is apparent in The Fall of the House of Usher, The Cask of Amontillado, and The Tell Tale Heart that gothic themes are present in all and can be attributed to Poe s own life experiences.
After only three years of life, Edgar Allan Poe s parents, who were both touring actors, died. Afterwards, he was taken in by a wealthy merchant in Virginia named John Allan (Brient 121). Poe led an uneventful childhood; he studied in England for a time only to come back to the United States for college. He attended the University of Virginia for only a year. Due to gambling debts, Poe was forced to leave the University, and joined the armed forces.
It was at this time where Poe wrote his first book, Tamerlane and other Poems (1827). After being thrown from the army due to disobedience of orders, Poe took up residence in Baltimore with his aunt, Maria Clemm. In order to support himself, Poe wrote fictional works. Among them was Berenice, which is considered one of his best horror tales. During this time of his life is when Poe was recognized as a gifted critic, which he was, and not yet a great author.
These critiques were published in magazine called The Messenger; however, the owner of the magazine was offended by many of the derogatory comments made Poe. Though this experience ended badly, he made himself somewhat known within the literary community (Brient 134). Poe took up alcoholism as a method of consoling himself for the hardships he had in the working world. During this time, Poe wrote a few of his best works, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Gold Bug, and Ligeia. His gloomy life took another turn for the worse as Virginia, his cousin with whom he lived with, died. Nevertheless, Poe continued writing and completed works such as The Tell-Tale Heart and The Pit and the Pendulum.
When his life finally took a turn north when he became engaged with his fianc e, he was found dead in a street of Baltimore and was declared dead due to the congestion of the brain. His life was obviously not a wonderful one; and this dreariness was the push towards many of his negative works, which include death and the loss of people close to the main character (web). In The Fall of the House of Usher, Roderick, a sickly man, and his sister, Madeline, live in a mansion that their family has lived in for many years. They are both terminally ill since they were conceived due to incest. With this knowledge, Roderick calls on his best friend who remains nameless throughout the tale.
Upon arrival, his friend consoles him reading him stories and other activities to occupy Roderick s mind. After a time, Madeline dies and is buried in an outdoor tomb. One night, while Roderick s friend is reading him a story a mysterious sound is heard from within the mansion. The two are terribly frightened and panic as a result.
Finally, the ghost of Madeline appears in the doorway and claims the life of Roderick. The friend flees from the mansion out of sheer fear and leaves the mansion. While riding away on his horse he looks back to find that the mansion had exploded and crumbled to the ground (Poe 244 - 268). It is possible that the personality of Roderick is in some way related Edgar Allan Poe s.
When reflecting the story, Roderick is without a large family. The only family he has is his aunt Clemm and Virginia. Virginia, however, was the only one of the two that was actually close to Poe. The death of Virginia may have been linked to the death of Madeline. The loss of Virginia in Poe s life was devastating, one of the points during his life where he turned to drinking to solve his problems. Madeline can also be associated with one of the main themes typical of a gothic theme, premature burial.
In the story, when Roderick is convinced he is hearing noises, he immediately attributes these noises to Madeline. It is his belief that Madeline was buried alive and she her spirit was seeking revenge on him and his friend (web). This theme dates back to Egyptian times where it was believed to be an Egyptian tradition to bury the damned alive. Poe seemed to have an interest in the mysteries of Ancient Egypt, which can be attributed to the fact that Hieroglyphics were first interpreted near his lifetime (Being 56 - 58). This very concept is exemplified again in the Cask of Amontillado. In it, a man named Montresor has a deep need for revenge against another man who bore a thousand injuries unto Montresor, Fortunato.
For years Montresor concocted a devious plan to end the life of Fortunato. Fortunato was an accomplished wine taster who prided himself on his ability to taste the difference between Amontillado and sweet sherry. With this knowledge, and also the knowledge that a man named Luchesi was Fortunato s competition, Montresor claimed he had a cask of Amontillado, but wasn t sure if it was genuine. As clever as he was, he hinted to Fortunato that he was to go Luchesi to taste it.
Of course, Fortunato could not have that so he went to taste it despite a bad cold he was suffering from. Finally, Montresor got what he had wanted, Fortunato was to follow Montresor into the vaults and taste the Amontillado. On the way to the vault, Fortunato drank large quantities of wine, and, as a result, became very drunk. When the two finally got to the spot where the Amontillado supposedly was, Montresor chained the drunk Fortunato to granite. He was helpless as Montresor started to build a wall to trap Fortunato.
He was left there to die by the man whom he considered a friend (Poe 310 - 321). In this tale, Poe once again uses the horrifying concept of premature burial. Through the revengeful narrator, depicted by Montresor, buries a live man in the vault. This instance of premature burial is even harsher than the last, in the The Fall of the House of Usher. In the other story, Madeline was buried alive accidentally, while in this case the burial was purely intentional.
The characters in this tale, mainly Fortunato, have many ironies attached to them. The name Fortunato is ironic in that Fortunato translates to fortune, which he certainly was not. When Montresor is leading Fortunato into vaults, he asks Fortunato on numerous occasions whether or not he was feeling okay, in regards to the cold. The irony is that Montresor was about to kill Fortunato, so there was little need to concern himself with Fortunato s health. Another example is when Montresor states he is a mason, which is an elite social group of people. Montresor says yes, but not to the meaning Fortunato was looking for (web) Another dark theme is used in The Tell-Tale Heart.
In this tale the narrator, who remains nameless throughout the story, has fixated all his attention towards his roommate s eye. This eye is described in detail in the story; he states that the eye is blue and covered with some sort of film. The narrator grows an obsession with the eye and finally can take its presence no more. He plots an intricate murder, and rehearses everything but the actual killing for several nights leading up to the murder. The narrator complements himself on the efficiency of these rehearsals, and, therefore describes them in great detail. Finally, after seven previous nights of practice, he kills the old man (his roommate).
He disposes of the body under the floor. The murder is concealed to the extent in which it could not be noticed by anyone; however, a neighbor heard the old man shriek during the murder and two policemen came to check if everything was already. The narrator welcomed them into his home with full confidence in the concealment of the body. After a time, while he and the policemen were talking, he heard a sound. The sound grew louder, and he noticed that the sound was the heart of the old man. The sound overwhelmed him and he surrendered himself (Poe 142 - 149).
The eye that plagued the narrator is referred to as an evil eye. This eye has been found in many cultures, namely Jewish, Hinduism, and ancient Egypt. The evil eye, according to myth, is supposed to harm anyone or anything that comes within its path. Again Poe refers to Egyptian myth as a basis of a story. Ironies are also found in this story as well. Throughout the tale, the narrator uses a disclaimer to assure the reader that he is not crazy; however, it is quite obvious that he is crazy (web).
Through many of his tales, Edgar Allan Poe uses these dark themes, possibly, as a way to express his feelings in regards to the negative experiences he has dealt with throughout his life. He also derives many of these themes from cultures such as ancient Egyptian culture. From it he has taken premature burial and the evil eye. Despite his morbid tales, Poe is considered a great writer, which can be attributed to his originality and use of themes derived from various cultures.
Free research essays on topics related to: premature burial, house of usher, cask of amontillado, edgar allan poe, fall of the house
Research essay sample on Edgar Allan Poe House Of Usher
