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Vampirism in the House of Usher

Originally written in 1839, Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” has been the object of many literary questions and criticisms. One of the most interesting questions ever raised would undoubtedly pertain to the illness that Madeline Usher suffered. Many theories have been put forth about “the disease of Lady Madeline [that] had long baffled the skill of her physicians.” (Poe 786). The most obvious conclusion on this disease is that Madeline Usher suffered from vampirism. Although Poe never actually said outright that this is what affected Madeline, he did give enough evidence throughout the story for it to be a possibility and when paired with the society-of-the-time’s view of death and gothic literature, vampirism is the most logical answer.
Most of the writing of Poe’s literary works occurred in the middle of the 1800s. “At the heart of nineteenth century romantic cult of the dead, lay a profound ambivalence towards the dead body” (Pike Par. 2). This...

Posted by: Chad Boger

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