Fall of the House of Usher
- This is a preview of the essay.
To view the full text you must login!
Alter ego is a second self, a perfect substitute or deputy, an inseparable friend, and another aspect of one's self. In contrast the ego is the "I" or self of any person; a person as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from objects of its thought. The ID is the part of the psyche, residing in the unconscious. That is the source of instinctive impulses that seek satisfaction in accordance with the pleasure principle and are modified by the ego and the superego before they are given overt expression.
Poe uses unique style to establish the relationship between the psyche and the body by using double characters or doppelgangers. The psyche is the mental or psychological structure of a person, especially as a motive force. In Poe's tales, characters carry internal conflicts by creating imaginary alter egos or assuming opposite personalities. The narrator uses the alter ego to separate himself from his insanity. The alter ego becomes a rival of the self.
The Usher family has a long background of insanity...