Question

name: dorian ellis hour: 6 directions: using the text and your annotations, answer the following questions in complete sentences. each answer should be 5 - 7 sentences long. in other words, be sure that you answer what the questions are asking and answer them thouroughly!! 1) what feelings does the narrator have when he looks at the house of usher? can he explain what causes these feelings? 2) why has the narrator come to visit this house? what is his relationship to its proprietor, roderick usher? 3) what is unusual about the history of the usher family? its only two of them left - and they both have weird sickness to them. 4) what does the narrator notice about the air surrounding the house? does he trust his observation? what does he notice about the stones in the walls? 5) what kind of illness does roderick suffer from? what are his symptoms? 6) what kind of illness does his sister madeline usher have? what are her symptoms? 7) what are the qualities of rodericks paintings? what example does the narrator describe? what do you think it means?

Explanation:

1. When the narrator looks at the House of Usher, he experiences a sense of dread and unease. The decaying appearance of the house, its isolated location, and the overall atmosphere contribute to these feelings.
2. The narrator has come to visit the house because he received a letter from Roderick Usher, his childhood friend, asking for his company due to his poor mental and physical health. Their relationship is one of long - standing friendship.
3. An unusual aspect of the Usher family history is its long - standing in - breeding, which has led to various physical and mental ailments among its members.
4. The narrator notices a stagnant, sickly atmosphere in the air around the house. He seems to trust his observations as he describes them in detail. He also notes a certain fissure in the stones of the walls that gives the house an ominous appearance.
5. Roderick suffers from a nervous disorder. His symptoms include extreme sensitivity to stimuli, mood swings, and a general sense of melancholy and impending doom.
6. Madeline Usher has a cataleptic illness. Her symptoms include periods of apparent death - like trances where she is unresponsive and has a lack of vital signs.
7. Roderick's paintings are characterized by their intense, dream - like quality. The narrator describes a painting of a long, dark tunnel. It may symbolize Roderick's descent into madness or the gloomy and isolated state of the Usher family.

Answer:

1. The narrator feels dread and unease. The house's decay, isolation, and atmosphere cause these feelings.
2. The narrator comes due to a letter from Roderick asking for company. They are childhood friends.
3. Unusual is long - standing in - breeding leading to ailments.
4. Narrator notices a stagnant, sickly air and trusts his observations. He sees a fissure in the stones.
5. Roderick has a nervous disorder. Symptoms are extreme sensitivity, mood swings, and melancholy.
6. Madeline has a cataleptic illness. Symptoms are death - like trances.
7. Roderick's paintings are intense and dream - like. Example is a long, dark tunnel, possibly symbolizing his madness or family's isolation.