By giving objects almost lifelike characteristics, Poe gives the house a supernatural quality which serves to make the story more interesting and.
suspenseful in his treatment of the houses effect on its inhabitants.
There are sections in the story where different forms of art; a painting and a poem, are introduced. Both of them tell a story within a story. These stories , in their own way are somehow parallel to the story in "The Fall of the House of Usher". For example, the painting was a painting done by Henry Fuesli. "Fuesli was noted for his interest in the supernatural."(Poe, 127). "A small picture presented the interior of an immensely long and rectangular vault or tunnel, with low walls, smooth, white, and without interruption.and bathed the whole in a ghastly and inappropriate splendor." (Poe, 127). This description can be interpreted as a place of sorrow, where the atmosphere is morbid and cold. All that this painting did was to add morbidity and coldness to the house.
The poem entitled "The Haunted Palace" makes a connection between the house and its inhabitants. The poem seems to parallel to the plot of "The Fall of the House of Usher". "Once a fair and stately palace--snow white palace--reared its head"(Poe, 127). This describes the past of the Usher home. It was once a stately mansion, but as time went by the house deteriorated along with the conditions of the people occupying it. We get to the present in both the story and this excerpt "but evil things in rokes of sorrow, assailed the monarchs high estate"(Poe, 126). This is what is happening to the Usher house now. The house along with its inhabitants are full of sorrow.
Poe uses differing themes of fear, death, and freedom throughout the story to set a suspenseful mood. Roderick is overcome by the fear that he is experiencing and it affects every aspect of his life. It is the constant presence of fear that has caused his illness.
