Blog Post #10

                                      Fall of the House of Usher
Edgar Allen Poe is one of my favorite writers of all time. He makes reading scary stories enjoyable and its no wonder that The Fall of the House of Usher was one o9f the first stories to really set a typical setting for the "Haunted House". Horror fans owe much to Poe because of his writing and the way it has shaped the settings and stories of their favorite movies and stories after his work. In this story it plays with the readers mind not giving them full disclosure if the house is really haunted or if Roderick is a vampire. Realistically he is not but the reader is given all kinds of clues that he could possibly be one. I like this element of the story because cheap scares and gore are not the only way to freak someone out. The unknown is most times the most terrifying as well as psychological games. This also allows the reader to make the story what they would like to believe as it goes a long. This story really set the framework for the look an feel of the scary house that we think of today and for that reason alone I really liked this story. How could I not its by my main man Poe.

                                                                      Afterward
The story afterwards I think definitely falls under the definition of "American Gothic" Because it has so many of the definitions features. The whole story is mentioned with darkness, hidden passageways, ghosts, the past coming back in a horrible way. The setting of the story also shared many characteristics with American Gothic stereotypes because of how it is described to be in disrepair and in a beat up state. The characters somewhat fall in love with the dilapidated house which goes back to the dark romances of the American Gothics definition. This story almost finds beauty in the supernatural and the broken down. I really liked this story because of the unknown factor. Making the reader think I think is always on of the best things a writer could do in one of their books. The hints of foreshadowing in the story also made it very enjoyable to read because it gives the reader clues and the ability to try and solve the mystery for themselves.