Poe. "The Fall of the Huse of Usher". Reading Questions

1. Why has Roderick Usher asked the narrator to visit him?
2. What mood does Poe create at the beginning of the story, and how is that mood established?
3. What is the narrator's initial reaction to the sight of his friend Usher, and how does he feel about the prospect of cheering him up?
4. When he meets Usher what does the narrator think of his mental state?
5. Note how Poe uses personification to describe the mansion. What human qualities does the House of Usher have?
6. What do we learn about the history of the house and the name "Usher"?
7. What does Usher consider to be the cause of his problems?
8. Describe Roderick Usher's room. Note the windows. If the room represents Usher' mind, what would you say, based on a description of the room, is the state of his mind?
9. Describe Roderick Usher's painting. What might be the possible significance of this painting?
10. Note the poem "The Haunted Palace." What does the poem reveal about the Usher family?
11. What is the nature of Roderick and Madeline's relationship?
12. Are Roderick and Madeline doomed to death because of their family's apparently cursed bloodline?
13. What kind of books are in Usher's bookshelf?
14. Describe Madeline's corpse. Note her face.
15. How does Roderick change after the burial?
16. How is Roderick's behavior affecting the narrator?
17. What does Madeline do to Roderick?
18. As the narrator escapes, he turns back and sees what?
19. What quality of Romanticism are most clearly illustrated in "The Fall of the House of Usher"?
20. What do you think are the overall themes of the story?