ABSTRACT
This paper intends to interpret the Gothic elements in The Fall of House of Usher, which is a masterpiece of American horror short story writer Edgar Allen Poe. The whole paper can be divided into five parts. The first part is the introduction. The second part explores the origin and significance of the term “Gothic” in order to give readers a general understanding of Gothic literature. The third part introduces Poe’s achievements in Gothic literature and his contribution to it. The fourth part analyzes the Gothic elements in The Fall of House of Usher in detail. The fifth part is the conclusion. Gothic elements in this short story are classified into two categories: one is traditional Gothic elements like the setting and supernatural phenomena, etc. which are used by many writers in their Gothic works; the other is Poe’s typical Gothic elements—psycho horror like split personality and the first person narrative perspective, etc.
Keywords：Gothic elements; Edgar Allen Poe ; The Fall of the House of Usher; psycho horror
Contents
1．Introduction 1
2. Gothic Literature and English Gothic Literature 2
2.1 The Origin and Definition of the Term “Gothic” 2
2.2 Gothic Tradition in English Literature 3
3. Poe and His Gothic Literature 5
3.1 Brief Introduction of Poe’s Famous Gothic Works 5
3.2 Poe’s Contribution to Gothic Literature 6
3.2.1 Poe and Traditional Gothic Techniques 7
3.2.2 Poe and Psycho-horror Techniques 7
4. Analysis of the Gothic Elements in The Fall of the House of Usher 9
4.1 Analysis of Traditional Gothic Elements 9
4.1.1 Setting 9
4.1.2 Characterization 11
4.1.3 Theme 12
4.1.4 Symbolism 13
4.1.5 Supernatural Phenomena 13
4.2 Poe’s Typical Gothic Elements—Psycho Horror 14
4.2.1 The Theme of Psycho Horror in The Fall of the House of Usher 14
4.2.2 Abnormal Complex— Antigone Complex 15
4.2.3 Split Personality 16
4.2.4 The First Person Narrative Perspective 17
5. Conclusion 18
Acknowledgements 19
References 20
