Fall of the house of usher Flashcards
Examples of doubling (6)
- house reflected in lake
- roderick’s paintings pf the vault
-twins
-madeline’s phys. degradation and roderick’s mental degrad. (completion)
-roderick’s mental state reflected in the storm - Mad Trist
Son coeur est un luth suspendu. QU’on le touche il résonne.
Explain.
Explain «son».
They’re both exposed to an external force (incest)
Son could be either twin, but likely both. Not gender-specific.
oppresively
in an unbearable way
singularly
unique, peculiar, odd
Insufferable
extremely annoying, unpleasant, and difficult to bear
pervade
to spread through and be easy to notice in every part of smt
saturate
sublime
spiritual excellence, beauty, awe-inspiring
goading
encouragement
insoluble
enigmatic, that cannot be solved or explained
tarn
lake
redeemed
justifiable
fancies
imaginative ideas
How is Usher a gothic story (4)
-dreary tone,
-fear sets into narrator from start,
-archaic words/phrases,
-amplified focus on exposition/environment
Archaic phrasing=
-lengthy sentences w embedded clauses (relative)
-pathetic fallacy
Pathetic fallacy=
the way the narrator feels is transposed in the environment
«I reflected … to annihilate its capacity for sorrowful impression»
Narrator’s discomfort is not the place itself, but the way things in it are arranged.
environment influences emotion
alleviation=
assuagement, relief, lessening
munificent=
generous
sojourn=
short stay, visit
temperament =
personality
orthodox=
conventional
infortunate=
demanding, persistent
fallacy=
false or illogical
pathetic=
has to do w emotions
time out of mind=
too long ago to be remembered
Explain the Usher family
- patrons of the arts
- the family is dying out (incest, inbreeding)
equivocal=
ambiguous
fancy =
dream, daydream, idea
Explain: «an atmosphere which had no affinity with the air of heaven»
hellish, bad, evil
countenance =
expression
scanned, scrutinized =
inspect with care
phantasmoagoric =
dreamlike, hallucinatory
delapidation=
desrepair, decrepitude
fissure =
fracture, crack
«perhaps the eye of a scrutinizing observer might have discovered a barely perceptible fissure»
is it there of metaphoric
What is familiar from when he visited as a child (4) and what is different
Same : carvings on the walls, sobre tapestries, ebony blackness of the floor, armorial trophies
Different: his mental state and the images these sights conjure
lofty -
noble
encrimsoned =
dyed crimson
feeble =
very weak
profuse =
abundant
cordiality =
pleasant and cordial
wan =
looking pale and weak, sickly
to have a want=
a lack of something
wont =
accustomed
Arabesque =
a type of designed where lines are intertwined, intricate
what does arabesque mean in the context of the story
his facial expression is confusing and hard to decipher, paradoxical, ornamental
companion =
close friend
forthwith =
right away
unobstrusive =
modest
appellation =
name
eaves =
part of the roof
masonry =
stonework
mingled =
mixed
trellised =
criss-crossed metal
pallide =
white, ashen
tenuinty =
slenderness
inordinate =
excessive
pallor =
shade of colour
tremulous =
shaky from nerves or anxiety
insipid =
lacking in distinguishable quality, having no taste or flavour
palpable =
that is easily noticeable by the mind or senses
guttural =
throaty, raspy
Explain Usher’s illness
hypersensitivity (Poe trope where the senses are hightened)
folly =
madness
What is Usher afraid of
he knows death is looming. he isn’t afraid of being dead, but of the moment of fear right before death.
What are Usher’s theories abt the source of his ilness (2)
- His sister’s ilness is taking a toll on him ( if she dies he becomes the last Usher)
- The mansion and its surroundings have an effect on his morale. As if they were sentient.
suppositious =
not genuine
sufferance =
tolerance
What does the storm represent
it represents the mental turmoil that Roderick is going through (DOUBLING)
phenomenon not uncommon is an example of
double negative
Trist =
illicit, romantic rendez-vous
casements =
window panes
uncouth =
uncivilized
prolixity =
wordiness
doughty =
spirited, tough
withal =
in addition
gauntlet =
glove
protracted =
prolonged, drawn out
What does Roderick die from
the fear he anticipated
What do double negatives do in Usher
characteristic of gothic litt.
adds emphasis
prostrating =
praying to a ruler, falling to your knees, flattening you bc of weakness
Explain the comparison between Fuseli and Usher
fuseli is abstract and usher isn’t
educe =
conclude based on facts
cataleptical =
very rigid arms, body in general
why did usher entomb her sister temporarily in a vault
doesn’t trust the doctor’s motives, the burial ground is exposed. they might desecrate the body or do an autopsy since her ilness is so rare.
pertinacity =
persistence, stubornness
fortnight =
two weeks
worldly =
sophisticated
«sympathies of a scarcely intelligible nature had always existed between them»
incest
«I felt creeping upon me, by slow yet certain degrees, the wild influences of his own fantastic, yet impressive influences.»
Usher insanity is starting to affect the narrator
tenant =
a person who pays rent
to rear (rhapsody) =
to rise up and show its head
«in the monrach Thought’s dominion»
Thought = name of the ruler, representing clear thinking, sanity, moral judgement
«Seraph spread a pinion»
seraph = angel
pinion = wing
«Over fabric half so fair»
The angel spread a wing over the domain
«Banners yellow, glorious, golden,
On its roof did float and flow»
Hair
«two luminous windows saw»
eyes
«pearl and ruby glowing»
teeth and tongue»
porphyrogene =
a royal name, purple in ancient greek, colour reserved for royalty
sedges
small plants
