The Fall of the House of Usher as a Psychological PlayThis essay examines "The Fall of the House of Usher" from the perspective that none of the events didn't actually happen -- or if they did, were exaggerated by the fear the characters felt. The essay proposes that the action took place in the narrator's mind and discusses the dream imagery present in the story and how it supports this theory. While discussing "The Fall of the House of Usher," Thompson explores the idea that the story is not really a true account - that is, an account of events experienced by the narrator – but rather the result of a “mutual hysteria of the narrator and Roderick Usher”. Basically, it claims that the narrator and Usher are both so filled with fear that they imagined the events, or there is a logical explanation for the things that happened while the narrator was staying at the Usher house. Thompson's first point reminds us that the narrator of this story attempts to rationalize many of the frightening things he witnesses at home. This contrasts with Usher's mind clearly disintegrating throughout the narrative. Thompson claims that Poe uses the narrator's "apparent" rationality to "enhance the irrational." By instilling in the reader a sense of coherence, the strangeness of the situation and Usher's mental state are more noticeable. Additionally, Thompson mentions that an integral part of the narrative is the "fear mechanism itself", which begins with Usher and works its way through to the narrator. This sense of fear, he argues, is what makes us read this story as a psychological thriller rather than as a series of events that actually happened. Thompson looks p...... middle of paper ......ndriac", which may be how people of that era talked about mental illness. Many people seemed to believe that Usher actually suffered from mental illness rather than physical illness. And finally, the possibility of brother-sister incest and other generations of Ushers has been discussed. The Usher family tree didn't diversify much that means few people came from outside the family I think that's very plausible, and that's actually what I always have. thought to be at the heart of this story. I think the two siblings are more than just brothers and sisters, and I found it to be one of the most interesting discussions we've had. Thompson, GR “Explained Gothic,” Poe's Fiction, University of Wisconsin Press, 1973. Pages. 87-97.