The Fall of the House of Usher Creative thinking
Paper details:
Imagine that you are the narrator of âThe Fall of the House of Usher-âby Edgar Allan Poe You have been asked to consider how Roderick would respond (not
necessarily analyze) to TWO of Charles Baudelaireâs poems- (âThe Carcass", "Hymn to Beauty", "Correspondences", âThe Sun", âTo the Readerâ)
In approximately three pages describe how Roderick would respond- You should use textual evidence from the story and poems to support your response- In
other words, donât just SAY how Roderick would respond but SHOW it by drawing from the texts-
Here are some points you will want to consider-
What specifically ails Roderick? See ifyou can find clues in the story-
Why would Roderick respond the way you think he would?
Based on what you know about Roderickâs condition, how would he respond to Baudelaireâs language and imagery?
How might Roderick respond to Baudelaireâs ideas about death or sensory information (sights, sounds, smells)?
How does Roderick respond to Beauty (a key concept in Baudelaire)?
You will need to read one text in terms of another. Poe employs this technique himself by placing one tale within another. Paper will be evaluated on the clarity
of the writing AND the degree to which you support your claims with spec ific references to the texts-
You can use simple parenthetic references that give page numbers-