The Fall of the House of Usher

Main Ideas

• Deconstruction of the human psyche and mind through an atmosphere of horror and madness.
• Exploration of the theme of heredity and the decline of a family, both physically and morally.
• The influence of the environment and architecture on a person's mental state.
• The theme of duality and mirroring, reflected in the relationship between the Usher siblings.
• The symbolism of the house as a reflection of its inhabitants' inner state.
• The inevitability of destruction and death as a metaphor for moral and physical decline.