exion of the deceased Madeline. He tries to rationalize what he sees by concluding that it must have been caused by her particular illness. The fact that the color in her face is mentioned may be a sign that perhaps she is not really dead and that she may reappear later in the story. The narrator remarks, “There were times, indeed, when I thought his unceasingly agitated mind was laboring with on oppressive secret, to divulge which he struggled for the necessary courage”(Poe, 673). The narrator also comments on how Roderick seems to stare at nothing and appears to be “listening to some imaginary sound”(Poe, 673). Again, this may be another hint of some evil occurrence yet to happen. Roderick does in fact lose his sanity as well as his life when Madeline reappears before him and the narrator at the end of the story. In conclusion, Poe’s use of characterization and imagery to depict fear and darkness truly makes The Fall of the House of Usher a story of the battle with fear that we must face in order to free our mind. ...
