Although most of the main characters in the American Gothic canon are members of the aristocracy, their socially dominant position does not guarantee them a satisfying life. This analysis will focus on the representation of the individual in relation to their economic status: does being rich mean that upper class characters are more likely to lead a fulfilling life than middle class characters/ lower? Through close reading of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher," Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables, Kate Chopin's "Desiree's Baby," and Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome, readers can clearly see a pattern of social commentary in Members of the aristocracy are generally the most restrained, dissatisfied, and resentful characters in the canon. Presented in chronological order, each work builds on the themes of the previous one and offers new perspectives on class and the individual. In Edgar Allen Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher," the mythic connection between the narrator's friend Usher and his family home conveys an important commentary on the nature of American aristocratic life. The “mental disorder” (110) from which Usher suffers reveals the relationship between the individual and his class status. Usher has a lot of money and comes from an “old family” (111) of reputed status; however, when the narrator reveals that there is no "enduring branch" (111) to continue Usher's lineage, it becomes clear that the aristocratic man is entirely defined by the material. This notion can then be extended to American society as a whole at the time Poe was writing: through his depiction of Usher's helplessness and inability to control his environment, Poe is creating... middle of paper......a hat. his love for Mattie is enough to convince him to leave Zeena, there is only one thing stopping him. Ethan's fear of starting a new life without "money" (78) causes him to pause and reevaluate the costs and benefits of running away with Mattie. The lure of aristocracy and wealth is too strong for Ethan, as he resides in a nation that values ​​class status and normative living above all else. When Mattie and Ethan realize they can't be together, it's Mattie who hatches the plan for the couple's suicide. However, it is unclear whether she is doing this for herself or for that of her lover: throughout the text, it is Ethan who seems continually dissatisfied with his life. Maybe Mattie recognizes that the only way for Ethan to escape the constant unhappiness in his life is to die - and she's willing to make the sacrifice with him..