Usher II Ashley Fuller Tiffany Showerman KC Cataldi

Usher II Ashley Fuller Tiffany Showerman KC Cataldi Jonathan Hardesty Byron Keck

Overview Summary Themes Connection between books Significance Conclusion

Summary Players: Investigators of moral climate Dismantlers Political friends House of Usher murder

Summary (cont. )

Themes Censorship Death Literal Metaphorical ▪ Death is like the censorship of ideas Idea of murdering fantasy censorship Fantasy and dark humor Quoting Poe and the Grimm brothers

Connections “THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER” “THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO” Characterization of the house Stendahl takes Garrett down into the cellar It disappears at the end “Ignorance is fatal” Locks him in an alcove

Significant Ideas Technology and creativity is used to kill science Investigator of moral climates control literature “All the beautiful literary lies and flights of fancy must be shot in mid-air. ” Politics “…with a screw tightened here and bolt fastened there, a push a pull a yank, art and literature were like a great twine of taffy strung about. ”

Significant Ideas (cont. ) Communism censorship Poe’s “House of Usher” “The House of Usher is open for business. ” Society for the prevention of fantasy Science is taking over literature “What eminent sociologist! What clever psychologists! What tremendously important politicians, bacteriologists, and neurologists!”

Significant Ideas (cont. ) Dismantlers Irony of the story science against technology and “My lord, you have an imagination, haven’t you? ”

Conclusion Murder of fantasy censorship Science taking over literature Literature destroys science creativity “The Fall of the House of Usher” “The Cask of Amontillado”