Comparing Fall of the House of Usher and The Cask of...

Compare Contrast Edgar Allan Poe Short Stories Introduction The Fall of the House of Usher and The Cask of Amontillado are two of Edgar Allan Poes most well-known and noteworthy stories. This paper compares and contrasts the two stories and provides and outline as well. The Fall of the House of Usher is based on terror just as The Cask of Amontillado (hereafter called Cask) is based on terror but there are many different components that Poe uses that contrast with the Cask, and they will be pointed out. According to Brett Zimmerman, writing in the peer-reviewed journal Mosaic (Winnipeg), explains that it is remarkable how many allegorical explanations have been expressed regarding The Fall of the House of Usher (hereafter referred to as Usher) (Zimmerman, 2010, p. 1). In Usher, the allegory is psychological, Zimmerman explains, and the scholar believes (along with many other scholars) that the actual house of Usher represents Rodericks psyche. In the story the narrator enters the house and he is then led through many dark and intricate passages while looking for Rodericks studio; but Zimmerman suggests that that tour through the house is actually an allegorical journey into the organs in the human skull. Poe clearly gives clues that allow the alert reader to detect the correspondence between Rodericks cranial features and his activities and temperament (Zimmerman, 2). In the functioning of Rodericks brain there are illogical andShow MoreRelated Edgar Allen Poe and Humor Essay1915 Words   |  8 PagesEdgar Allen Poe and Humor Edgar Allen Poe is most often recognized, and certainly most famous, for his poem â€Å"The Raven† as well as other decidedly dark and often gothic poems and stories, stories such as â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher,† â€Å"The Telltale Heart† â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado.† He also wrote many others mostly involving rather macabre, dark topics and characters as well as heavy themes such as insanity, madness, incest, murder and revenge. While this reputation is certainly well earned