| Narrator | |
|---|---|
 Illustration by Arthur Rackham for "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe | |
|
Real Name |
Unknown |
|
First Appearance |
The Fall of the House of Usher (1839) |
|
Original Publisher |
Burton's Gentleman's Magazine |
|
Created by |
Edgar Allan Poe |
Origin[]
In "The Fall of the House of Usher", Poe's unnamed narrator is called to visit the House of Usher by Roderick Usher. As his "best and only friend," Roderick writes of his illness and asks that the narrator visit him. The narrator is persuaded by Roderick's desperation for companionship. Though sympathetic and helpful, the narrator is continually made to be an outsider, watching the narrative unfold without fully becoming a part of it. The narrator also exists as Roderick's audience as the men have not remained close. Roderick is convinced of his impending demise and the narrator is gradually drawn into this belief after being brought forth to witness the horrors and haunting of the House of Usher.
From his arrival, the narrator notes the family's isolationist tendencies, as well as the cryptic and special connection between Madeline and Roderick, the final living members of the Usher family. Throughout the tale and her varying states of consciousness, Madeline completely ignores the narrator's presence. After Roderick Usher claims that Madeline has died, the narrator helps Usher entomb Madeline in an underground vault despite noticing Madeline's flushed, lifelike appearance.
During one sleepless night, the narrator reads aloud to Usher as eerie sounds are heard throughout the mansion. He witnesses Madeline's reemergence and the subsequent, simultaneous death of the twins. The narrator is the only character to escape the House of Usher, which he views as it cracks and sinks into the mountain lake.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Narrator from The Fall of the House of Usher from before January 1, 1929 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- The Fall of the House of Usher (1839) in Burton's Gentleman's Magazine
- Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque (1840)
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- La Chute de la maison Usher (1928)
- The Fall of the House of Usher (1928)
Public Domain Stage Appearances[]
- La chute de la maison Usher (1908-1917)