Using these archetypal symbols in Poe's story really gave it that intense feeling of anxiousness as the audience reads through which, in the end, contributes to the depressing mood.
Poe uses contextual symbols in this story to create the depressing mood that this specific short story is notorious for. One of the many contextual symbols of the story is the painting that Rodrick creates, which symbolizes the thoughts that go through his mind as he continues to live in the house (327). This helps the reader better understand the mood of the story. Through the detailed description of the painting, that the narrator describes, it allows the audience to grasp the harsh reality and guilt that takes place in the mind of Rodrick. In this painting it appears that it is a small enclosed room far below the Earths surface and is created with simple yet dull colors. This, more than likely, represents the captivity of his thoughts and the trapped feeling that it seems to convey. The narrator says, .bathed the whole in a ghastly and inappropriate splendor (327). More contextual symbol are the windows of the Ushers house which are tall, but too high to reach from the inside which may indicate that there is no way out and that the house truly is a trap. The narrator also remarks, With the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit. (322). This could mean that the house is practically dead; there is no life to sustain it and it can be felt in the heart of any man, such as the narrator, who lay eyes upon it. Creating a mood for a story will determine the overall outcome based on what the reader thinks. Poe liked to add a dark, depressing mood so that readers may become more in depth with the storyline. .
Through the use of imagery Poe was capable of establishing the depressing mood of the short story since he was typically focused more on the darker side of story telling.
