Self and Sentience in The Fall of the House of Usher

The Fall of the House of Usher combines a number of elements that are individually present in several other Poe stories, namely madness, the death of a beautiful woman, a supposedly sentient or hostile environment, and apparent reanimation. Despite structural similarities, there are several inconsistencies in the presentation of these elements. I will focus on Poe’s use of identity throughout the story, specifically how the Usher family and house are merged, and how they subsequently interact with the surrounding environment. Using this framework and by analyzing secondary sources, I will explore how Roderick and the entire Usher family and house are presented either favorably or unfavorably, and how Poe’s narrator is inconsistent in describing all aspects of identity and favorability.