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THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER
Summary
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER
Edgar Allan Poe
Setting: Great Britain, 1800s
The speaker arrives at the gloomy house of Roderick Usher. Roderick is the speaker’s
childhood friend. The speaker is shocked to see how Roderick has changed. He is fearful
and gloomy. At the house, the speaker briefly sees Madeline, Roderick’s sister. She is very
sick. Roderick is worried about her and terrified of death. Roderick and the speaker pass
the time listening to music, reading aloud, and painting. Roderick’s paintings and songs
upset the speaker. He likes to sing about death and paint gloomy things. Then Madeline
dies. Roderick puts her coffin in the basement. About a week later, there is a terrible storm
at night. Roderick, half-mad with fear, enters the speaker’s room. To calm Roderick, the
speaker reads him a story. The speaker thinks he hears strange sounds several times during
the reading. Then Roderick claims that Madeline is still alive. He says she got out of the
basement and is standing outside the door. Then the door opens.
LA CAÍDA DE LA CASA USHER
El narrador llega a la lúgubre casa de Roderick Usher. Roderick es un amigo de la infancia
del narrador. El narrador se asombra del cambio que observa en Roderick. Se ve temeroso y
desolado. Dentro de la casa, el narrador ve brevemente a Madeline, la hermana de Roderick.
Ella está muy enferma. Roderick está preocupado por ella y tiene terror a la muerte. Roderick
y el narrador pasan el rato escuchando música, leyendo en voz alta y pintando. Las pinturas
y las canciones de Roderick alteran al narrador. Canta sobre la muerte y sus pinturas son
sombrías. Entonces Madeline muere. Roderick coloca su ataúd en el sótano. Una noche, casi
una semana después, cae una terrible tormenta. Roderick, enloquecido por el temor, entra
al cuarto del narrador. Para calmarlo, el narrador le lee un cuento. En varias ocasiones, el
narrador cree escuchar sonidos extraños durante la lectura. Roderick asevera que Madeline
sigue viva y que está parada del otro lado de la puerta. Entonces, se abre la puerta.
Resource Manager
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER
Copyright © Holt McDougal, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Edgar Allan Poe
Escenario: Gran Bretaña, a principios del siglo XIX
Unit 2
American Literature
TX_L11RMu02_11_FINAL.indd 153
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