Edgar Allen Poe

     The short story, "Fall of the House of Usher" written by Edgar Allen Poe has many psychological aspects that add to the Gothic elements. For example, the description of the house itself helps foreshadow that something terribly bad is going to happen. The outside of the house is described as being dark, and gothic. It even has eye-like windows and he starts to see a sad face on the house. He is personifying the house and the giving it a sad life. It definitely connects with the Usher family, since they are all intermarried with one other, they have many genetic problems. The inside of the house also resembles the outside and Usher's condition is linked with the house as well. The house also seems to be effecting Roderick's mind as well. Another psychological aspect in this story is the sister supposedly dead and after they bury her under the house, he feels a presence in his room and a thunder storm is added to create tension. While he is reading Roderick a novel about a knight clawing himself out of his grave, he starts to hear noises coming from the house. This signifies that the sister is doing the same exact thing while he is reading.