Characters and Setting in The Fall of the House Usher The main goal in “The Fall of the House Usher” is to give the reader a sense of horror . Through the creation of elaborate imagery and bleak circumstances Poe conveys a story that arouses in the reader the dark feelings he had hoped for. In this analysis I will focus on Poe's characters and setting and how he structures them to produce the overall effect. The story begins with a description of our narrator's first impressions of the House of Usher. He was summoned there so he could offer comfort to his childhood friend. The friend in particular, Roderick Usher, is an eccentric character who the narrator hasn't seen for some time. The reason for his visit is so that he, Usher's only friend, can provide companionship that will ease Usher's lonely and disturbed mind. The setting of this story takes place in what is known as the House of Usher. The house resembles a sovereign mental asylum. The family that has lived in the house for many years is described by Poe as having a branchless trunk (p.665). The events that have occurred over the years of this family's incessant and peculiar behavior give the house a life of its own that tells a disturbing story. In the particular passage we have chosen the narrator describes the effect of seeing the house: “It was a completely insoluble mystery.” (p.654) The mystery surrounding the house gives it a sense of darkness. The term “mystery” also serves to pique the reader's curiosity. This quality is important to the overall effect of Poe's story. Leaving the effect of the house as something somewhat unknown, it draws the reader to join the narrator in a record... middle of paper... setting the stage, Poe's story culminates in a battle between Usher and his sister. This episode provides the reader with a thrilling demonstration of the horror he has been warned about throughout the story. At the beginning of the story the narrator told of the burial of Lady Madeline, Usher's sister. Although the reader knows that she was buried, it is only revealed at the end that she was buried alive. On the last night of the narrator's stay, Lady Madeline emerges from the coffin to fight her brother. The narrator leaves the house as the House of Usher and sees its final end. Poe's style and story structure are excellent. His use of descriptive phrases and psychology paints a twisted picture for the audience. The slow, moving style creates a feeling of suspense that is perfectly released when the story comes to a dramatic ending.