... to Roderick's strange fascinations and pursuits, the narrator is pushed closer to the edge of completely losing his sanity. Following the entombment of Roderick's beloved and dying sister Madeline, Roderick's mental stability falls apart and the narrator becomes infected with his friend's superstitions and hallucinations, which leads the narrator into his final descent of madness ... For example, as he flees from the House of Usher, he leaves a "...wild light... a gleam so unusual" (Poe 14) unexplained, showing that he no longer tries to explains things, but only accepts and fears them....

• Word Count: 1351
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate