literary essay on the comparison between two gothic works
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Course
ENG 114
Institution
University Of Saskatchewan (USask
)
Book
Mexican Gothic
literary essay on the gothic genre's evolution.The comparison and contrast between Mexican Gothic by Silva Monroe Garcia and the fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe. It also highlights its unique significance to the gothic genre.
The Evolution of The Gothic Genre Through Change in Period
“The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe and Mexican Gothic by Silvia
Garcia Monroe are two interesting gothic novels involving a range of topics. Similarities,
differences, and their unique significance to the Gothic genre can be seen between these two
works and this essay will highlight it. These works have implemented the themes of Gothic
aesthetics such as madness and decay to elaborate further on the different concerns of the two
periods. By including elements of racism, gender roles, colonization, and psychological
fragility they have been able to turn the gothic genre into a more flexible, and adaptable part
of literature.
The setting for The Usher Home in “The Fall of The House Of Usher” and High Place in
Silvia Monroe’s Mexican Gothic, where most of the story unfolds, has a close description of
the atmosphere and setting. In “The Fall of the House of Usher”, the description of the Usher
house goes “I looked upon the scene before me—upon the mere house, and the simple
landscape features of the domain—upon the bleak walls—upon the vacant eye-like windows
—upon a few rank sedges—and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees..."(Poe 1). The
description of High Place in the Mexican Gothic goes “The house loomed over them, its
windows darkened like so many black eyes turned upon Noemí. It had a hideous aura, like a
thing that had been here for far too long, its bulk sunk into the earth."(Monroe-Garcia 45).
These two direct quotes capture the similarity between the gothic houses in both works. The
pure representation of Gothic elements used to describe the houses and atmosphere
, surrounding it reminds readers of the eerie, dark, and frightful nature of the gothic genre. It
also shows how well both Authors were able to capture the essence of gothic through the
setting of their works.
“The Fall of House of Usher” reveals an Obvious theme of madness and decay in the
atmosphere felt in the usher home and the decay of the main character Roderick. These two
phrases provide evidence for the previous claim “I felt that I breathed an atmosphere of
sorrow. An air of stern, deep, and irredeemable gloom hung over and pervaded all.” (Poe 4 )
and "He suffered much from a morbid acuteness of the senses; the most insipid food was
alone endurable; he could wear only garments of certain texture..."(Poe 5)These two scenes
reveal the drastic state Roderick Usher has moved to as he slowly decays in the Usher House,
which could be the cause of his madness and decay. You can find similar themes in The
Mexican Gothic novel such as "They consumed it, you see. They breathed it in, ate it,
ingested it, and it made them what they are today. It preserved them, sustained them, but it
also drove them mad” (Monroe-Garcia 85) And “The house was alive, and it could feel, and it
could bleed. “(Monroe-Garcia 122). Mexican Gothic explores madness, particularly through
the character of Noemi and the influence of the family’s toxic legacy. The house, with its
bizarre and terrifying control over the inhabitants, symbolizes the Doyles' madness and their
obsession with immortality, which leads to the physical and mental decay of the inhabitants.
In “The Fall of the House of Usher” By Edgar Allen Poe the need for the usher lineage
to remain existing and pure as they practice incest is portrayed as “Her decease... would leave
him (him the hopeless and the frail) the last of the ancient race of the Ushers."(Poe 6) The
devastation he feels that the usher lineage is finally coming to an end emphasizes his desire
for the continuation of it. The same occurrence is present in Silvia Garcia Monroe’s work as
the Doyle family also practices incest because only their gene is compatible with their
immortal mushroom fungus, which preserves their life. “We Doyles have a particular need for
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