The first thing that came to my mind while reading "Afterward" I thought to myself why this couple would want to for one, retire in England (no offense to people from there or Englad enthusiasts but its always so gloomy there to me) and two, why they would hope for their retirement cottage to have ghosts in it?! Why would these people hope that a ghost resides in their new house? To me that was just plain creepy. The definition of "American Gothic" we were given I think does a great job of describing this story. The pasts ghosts will haunt the present and in this case it rings true. The "figure" in the book I think is a ghost but I get a little confused on how the ghost came to be or who it is. I don't think the definition differs because like I said it does a great job describing this specific story.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Blog Set #10
I do believe that "The Fall of the House of Usher" can very much be read in a realist tone. I feel like in that era it would be possible to mistaken someone to be dead, after all there where no medical advances at this time. Fun Fact: Around this era or earlier before, they used to sell caskets with bells on them so that is someone where to wake up from being mistaken for dead they can ring the bell so people around the cemetery would hear and lift up the person trapped inside the casket. Because I know this fact I'm a little more biased towards thinking that "accidentally" burying someone after thinking they are dead can be indeed a great possibility. But then again, maybe it is some kind of psychological encounter because Roderick seems to be a little off, mentally. So I think this could be Edgar Allan Poe trying to depict or describe the mind of a mentally ill person. I do think it could be interpreted but I still don't know what that interpretation could be. It could be just Poe describing in his way, what it's like to be "mad" but also it can just be a poetic piece with a somber twisted tone. When the narrator described the house I instantaneously thought of a haunted house; dark rooms, spooky staircase and so much more.
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Afterwards was an interesting read and I agree with why the couple would want a ghost to reside in their home, what people do you hear wanting a ghost in their home, it is strange but it does make a good story.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Fall of the House of Usher" I think they actually did bury Madeline alive as well because although Roderick was freaking out despite his mental stage, the narrator saw this as well and he was relatively sane (I think) so I think it is very possible that Madeline was alive. However, I am also thinking that those were her last breaths moment.
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