Comparing The Fall Of The House Of Usher And House Taken Over

“House Taken Over” is exceptionally shorter than “Usher” and incorporates modern English and a calmer mood to express the Magical Realism in the story. Cortazar’s text is much less intense than Poe’s and uses far more ordinary and recognizable characters and setting. He tells the story of a brother and his sister Irene and the activities they do in their daily life. The plot is then shifted towards fear with the addition of the fantastic events of the supernatural beings. “I went down the corridor as far as the oak door, which was ajar, then turned into the hall toward the kitchen, when I heard something in the library or the dining room. The sound came through muted and indistinct, a chair being knocked over onto the carpet or the muffled buzzing of a conversation. At the same time or a second later, I heard it at the end of the passage which led from those two rooms toward the door” (39). The characters in “House” have an unimpressed tone when they learn of the otherworldly creatures and try to ignore it, indicating that the story is indeed written in the style of Magical Realism. “‘I had to shut the door to the passage. They’ve taken over the back part.’ She let her knitting fall and looked at me with tired, serious eyes. ‘You’re sure?’ I nodded. ‘In that case,’ she said, picking up her needle again, ‘we’ll have to live on this side’”

Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a good example because it has a spooky setting, has a ghost, takes place in the olden days, has gloomy weather, and the characters talk funny. An example from the story is “During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens…” (page 13). This sentence proves that this story is gothic literature because it shows that the setting has gloomy weather. Therefore, “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a gothic literature because, it has many examples of gloomy

There are many similarities and differences in the stories “Fall of the House of Usher” and “House taken over” , both of these stories fall under very similar literature types .

“Fear is not real. It is the product of thoughts you create. Danger is very real, but fear is only a choice.” Fear is not something that is always real, such as when Usher was scared but there was nothing to fear yet, but the danger at the end of the story, especially for Ushers friend, was something to fear for. In the Gothic Literature short story, “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe, the setting is somber and creates an illusion of darkness. On the other hand, “House Taken Over” by Julio Cortazar, portrays the idea of magical realism in, which setting is more realistic and less gloomy. Although Gothic Literature and Magical Realism are similar, there are also many differences, especially in their settings.

Alex’s spookiest experience was when she was watching a t.v. show and it actually convinced her that a women could communicate with the dead. This is related to gothic literature because they both have supernatural elements. However, it's also related to magical realism because it was realistic but also contained surreal elements. Edgar Allan Poe’s “Fall of The House of Usher” is an example of gothic literature because it resembles a dark and mysterious plot. While Julio Cotazar’s “House Taken Over” is an example of magical realism because the house gets taken over by Nazi’s, but seems as if ghost’s took over.

Gothic Literature is a writing style that has dark setting, it has an overall atmosphere of mystery, exoticism, death. A Gothic story will revolve around a large, ancient house or an obscure setting that conceals a terrible secret or that serves as the refuge of an especially frightening and threatening character

In “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Poe is describe as gothic fiction because it sets in a house that looks like haunted house. This story was fill with dark gloomy scenes. Everywhere around this house was scary to the narrator. The lake and the nature that surrounds the house was dark and scary looking. Even the hall of the house was fill with darkness that gave fear to the narrator. Not only Poe’s work is gothic fiction, Hawthorne’s work, “Young Goodman Brown” is gothic fiction. The reason is because it is set in wilderness where Young Goodman Brown sees a devil and a witch influencing him to be like them. Because of these two works from Poe and Hawthorne gives fear and mood of darkness, these stories are classified as gothic fiction.

“The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allen Poe, a story of gothic literature, is about a visitor walking into a house of danger owned by his old friend who has a disease. “House Taken Over” by _____, a story of magical realism that shows us two siblings alone in a massive house that half of has been taken over but something that isn’t told. Two different but similar stories including their effects of elements and writing. Similar to “House Taken Over” by ___ ,in the story “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allen Poe, the narrator is unknown and speaks the story from a first person perspective. The houses in each story are inhabited by siblings and lost to those who live in them.

Hairs standing on end, sweaty palms, fear that will cause sleepless nights these are all symptoms that describe what Gothic Literature is all about. A famous Gothic Literature poet is Edgar Allan Poe, he wrote many grotesque and mysterious tales. One of the stories that depicts Gothic literature is called , The Fall of the House of Usher. The story qualifies as Gothic Literature by utilizing grotesque characters, bizarre situations, and violent event. The first element of gothic literature required is Grotesque Characters.

Magical realism has two contrasting elements : Reality and Fantasy. “House Taken Over” is a good example of magical realism because the characters in the story knew their home would be taken from them, but remained a mystery as to who was taking it from them. An example from the story is having to shut the door to the passage. They’ve taken over the back part (94).” This sentence proves its magical realism because the brother does not say who “they” really are. Therefor, “House Taken Over” is an example magical realism as a result of no one really knowing who really invaded their home: it could be the government, nazi or a ghost but no one will really know.[Summer Tuffin]

Gothic literature has many elements which play into its definition. The actual definition is a style of writing that is characterized by elements of fear, horror, death, and gloom. (19th Century) There are three main types of gothic literature. These are Victorian, 20th Century, and American literature. Based on Edgar Allan Poe stories and poems, he fits into the American type of gothic literature. Each kind of gothic literature has different elements which allow it to be considered gothic. Some examples of these are focusing on ruin, mystery, ghost, supernatural things, decay, death, and terror. (19th Century) Majority of Edgars’ poems investigates the loss of ideal beauty and the difficulty in regaining it. (Edgar Allan) Poe believes in the use of gothic literature because it is the key to creating a scary, dark atmosphere which forms a backdrop to the action of setting and time. (Prove that) when a writer uses gothic literature, they must not end with satisfactory, yet it should be composed with an emotional impact on the readers mind. (Poe’s Literary) They need to peer into the darkness and supernatural to offer a change

Gothic literature originally came from gothic architecture. It started around the 1700s when Europe and America were going through a literary movement. It was an anti transcendentalist movement which meant they did not believe everyone has the ability and opportunity to experience and accomplish greatness. Gothic writers, like Edgar Allen Poe and Stephen King, write stories that include sin and self-destruction. Most gothic literature stories have a dark and creepy setting with details to enhance the scary environment. When Edgar Allen Poe wrote "The Fall of the House of Usher," he uses lots of details and describes each component of the outside of the Usher home. Poe writes, "I looked upon the scene before me upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain... and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees with the utter depression of soul..."Instead of saying he saw the house, Poe uses specific word choice to enhance the effect. Poe also describes the trees; then he uses personification to say they have depressed souls instead of saying they look poor. In a similar manner, he portrays the house falling with an abundance of embellishments. For example, Poe says, " There was blood upon her white robes, and the evidence of some bitter struggle upon every portion of her emaciated frame."The author does not simply say she has blood on her clothes but uses the white robe as a symbol of purity and the blood represents her refinement leaving her body. The

Edgar Allen Poe sets up specific patterns throughout “The Fall of the House of Usher” that come together to reveal the ending of the story. The story starts with an unnamed narrator who has to deal with Roderick Usher’s current predicament: his sister’s untimely death and his own mental and physical illness, along with the slow decay of the family household. The narrator’s very first words describe the house’s chilling appearance, bringing upon him an “insufferable gloom” (Poe, 231). The dreariness of the house, and the strangeness of Roderick Usher only progress throughout the story. One of the aspects of the story that seems most unnatural is that, as Roderick Usher is slowly decaying, along with the family name, the house is also falling apart. The story portrays the physical and mental decay of Roderick Usher, coinciding with the deterioration of the literal house, leading to the ultimate collapse of the house of Usher depicted in the last interactions the narrator has with both Roderick and the mansion.

Gothic literature is pleasing horror or dark literature. Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall Of The House Of Usher” is a good example of gothic literature because it has strange and violent plot lines for instance, “ On one of the stair cases I met the physician of the family. His countenance, I thought, were a mingled expression of low cunning and perplexity. He accosted me with the petition and passed on the valet now he threw open a door and ushered me into the presence of his master.” (line 6,page16). This shows gothic literature by showing the strange actions of the physician as the narrator was walking in the house and brought him to his “master”.

The Narrator in both tales are quite different and quite the same. The Fall of the House of Usher's