Monday, November 1, 2010

Gothic Fishbowl #1: Fall of the House of Usher


Remember that your goal is to participate thoughtfully and CONSISTENTLY during today's discussion.


A few thoughts:


1. Hit F5 to refresh your screen (new comments do not automatically pop up).

2. Show professionalism by using correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation; remember that the world will be looking at our blog.

3. If you are responding to someone directly, reference them in your comment.

4. Bring in quotations when possible.

29 comments:

  1. I think that the way they describe the house in the story is very similar to the one in the first film clip we watched about the children who could not look at the sun.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Everyone:

    What were major characteristics that the house shared with the host?

    ReplyDelete
  3. On page 3 Poe writes "the valet now threw open a door and ushered me into the presence of his master." how do you think this presence of host relates to the house?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Why do the authors of Gothic era choose a house? Do you think that it is always a house or are there other symbols that can be used?

    ReplyDelete
  5. The house that Edgar Allan Poe describe sets to the feel of how the story is set.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What about the host and the house makes it a gothic setting?

    ReplyDelete
  7. I think Usher is attempting to escape the nature of the house by not being similar to it, which is why he greeted the guest so warmly. By having a guest, he's changing something in the house, which is something he doesn't normally do. Maybe he thinks by changing the house, he'll change himself.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Do you think Poe chose the name Usher for a reason?

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think his illness is part of ting the gothic setting because it adds a mysterous twist!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think the House of Usher creates a creepy and mysterious feel, and that is part of the gothic setting.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I think the crack in the wall as he describes the setting is symbolic for a crack in Ushers life. It's almost as if he's trying to escape a past that keeps coming back.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Earl: Other symbols can probably be used but houses are more common because the host lives within so if the host has a certain aura then the atmosphere of the house reinforces it.

    ReplyDelete
  13. What is the poem in the story about?

    ReplyDelete
  14. The quote in the beginning translates to, "His heart is a lute suspended in the air; when you touch it, it resonates." What does this mean in reference to the story?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Earl: i think that poe did because the name is so uncommon that there must be a connection with the name and poe

    ReplyDelete
  16. I think that the reason Usher feels so depressed is because of the house and the Gothic feel that it has.

    ReplyDelete
  17. If you live in a depressing place, you will always be depressed because it is in depressing surroundings

    ReplyDelete
  18. When someone looses someone important they remember all the good times that they had with that person, which causes them to feel guilty because they remember not only the good times they spent with that person, but they also remember the bad times which cause them to feel guilty.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I think the dark feel of the gothic house can suck the guest in, and cause fear!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Poe shows Ushers connections to the house with the mental disorder that oppressed him; it's almost as if he can connect to the house more than other people no matter how hard he tries.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Do you think that poe portrays himself in this story as the host or the house?

    ReplyDelete
  22. To answer Lee's question, I think he is talking about both the setting and his mood because as he's writting he seems in a fog or a little disturbed. The setting is a key part of story because it is clearly gothic. It is dull and old which creates a creepy kind of mood for the story. The house is very run down and old with old wood, broken down furniture and cracks in the wall. Usher shows extrodinary instead of ordinary and that oppisites attract which is why he is so happy in the gray house. Does he have an illness? Where is his insanity coming from? How deep rooted is it, and how long has this been going on inside of him? Do you think there is anyone who can help him with his depression? The secret: insest. This is a problem because if siblings sleep together this will lead to DNA genetic problems.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Why do Gothic stories always revolve around fear?

    ReplyDelete
  24. Why would they want to keep their blood line??

    ReplyDelete
  25. Emily: Well, the title is "The Haunted Palace," and so I think it has to have something to do with the house. It also has a lot of references to regality, which the Usher family is. There not exactly royalty, but it did say that the Usher family was, "time honored." And, it also talks about the palace being assailed by "evil things," like the house of Usher being assailed by the storm later in the book.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Willie: because they probably think if they're the strongest, smartest, best they think they can keep it that way. Kind of like breeding animals.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I was wondering why Usher didn't leave the house if was making him ill. I think that he might have stayed there because he felt obligated to keep the family line running. I agree when Grace said that the crack in the house symbolizes how broken Usher is on the outside. I don't think that usher did the right thing by ignoring the sounds of his sister in the tomb for days. I think that he should've went and saved his sister.

    ReplyDelete