Edgar Allan Poe and Dualities
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Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most prolific of American writers. His work is widely read and is considered some of the greatest ever written. As many know, Poe did not lead a normal or even a happy life. His writing usually reflected that and we can see nods to his life in much of his work. In "The Fall of the House of Usher," one of his most popular pieces, Poe uses dualities to demonstrate parallels between events in the story and aspects of his own life.
"The Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story which tells of the downfall of a prominent family, Usher. In one of the most obvious dualities, the phrase "House of Usher" is said to stand for both the family mansion and the family which occupies it, giving the two a permanent link. In the story, the narrator is summoned by an ailing Roderick Usher, a childhood friend. Usher wishes to spend time with him. While the two men pass the time, Roderick engages in many artistic activities...