In place of a moral, Poe creates a mood "terror, in this case " through his use of language. ... The narrator writes that the house seems to have collected an evil and diseased atmosphere from the decaying trees and murky ponds around it. ... Just as the atmosphere and landscape seem translated into the characters, the house, as another aspect of setting, functions as a symbol for the Usher family. ...

• Word Count: 1485
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School