Teaching The Fall of the House of Usher

Instructions for You

Objective: Alright, stay with us here. For fun, let's say that Madeline wrote a letter while she was clawing her way out of the tomb, because she's just that awesome. Maybe she wrote it in blood. Maybe the family stowed paper and pencils away in their tombs in case they were hit with a little inspiration while burying someone. Who knows?

Anyway, we want to know what's going on in Madeline's mind when she wakes up, so what would her letter to Roderick say?

Plan for one hour or one class period total to rock this lesson.

Materials Needed: : A copy of the text and/or Shmoop's summary

Step 1: We want to think about Madeline. Have students discuss the following questions in small groups of three or four. Once they're done hammering out these details, they can go about their merry ways and start writing their individual letters.

Also, it's okay (really, preferable) for them to use their imaginations as long as what they imagine fits the story.

• What exactly happens in the story to Madeline? Why does Roderick pack her into the tomb?
• What medical condition do we think Madeline has? What evidence is there of this condition?
• Is Madeline angry with Roderick? Does she understand what happened, or does she suspect that Roderick buried her intentionally? Does she want revenge or has she forgiven him?
• What is the tomb under the house like? What does it look like, smell like, feel like? What would you hear down there? Rats? Dripping water? The moans of the dead?
• Does she fear dying?
• Does Madeline hope to be rescued or is she totally convinced she needs to handle this situation herself?
• How would Madeline try to escape? How would she get out of her coffin? Out of the dungeon?

Step 2: Once they have those ideas under their belts, your students should sit down and write their letters to Roderick, paying special attention to writing in Madeline's voice. What is she feeling while she's under the house? We imagine that it would be pretty frightening (she's surrounded by dead bodies, after all), so make sure they dive into the terror and darkness...all in two pages (or about 400 words).

Step 3: Once that's wrapped up, have students get back into their groups and share their letters. They can edit each other's work as a group and possibly choose the best letter to share with the larger classroom community. Just make sure at the end, everyone turns in their edited letters.

Instructions for Your Students

Madeline's experience at the end of the story must have been terrifying. Think about it. She's hanging out under the house, it's wet, cold, and dark, and there are a bunch of dead bodies and dusty bones everywhere. This is truly the stuff of nightmares…and the reason we keep coming back to Poe for more.

That doesn't mean we can't learn a lot from her ordeal, though. Today, you'll write a quick letter to Roderick, detailing Madeline's experiences, thoughts, and feelings.

Let's get on with it.

Step 1: First we want to think about Madeline. Discuss the following questions in small groups of three to four.

Also, it's okay (preferable, really) to use your imagination as long as what you come up with fits the story.

•  What exactly happens in the story to Madeline? Why does Roderick pack her into the tomb?
• What medical condition do we think Madeline has? What evidence is there of this condition?
• Is Madeline angry with Roderick? Does she understand what happened, or does she suspect that Roderick buried her intentionally? Does she want revenge or has she forgiven him?
• What is the tomb under the house like? What does it look like, smell like, feel like? What would you hear down there? Rats? Dripping water? The moans of the dead?
• Does she fear dying?
• Does Madeline hope to be rescued or is she totally convinced she needs to handle this situation herself?
• How would Madeline try to escape? How would she get out of her coffin? Out of the dungeon?

Step 2: Once those ideas are firmly under your belts, it's time to allow your imagination to roam freely.

Sit down and write the letter to Roderick, and pay special attention to writing in Madeline's voice (first person, y'all). What's she feeling while she's under the house? We imagine it would be pretty frightening (she's surrounded by dead bodies, after all), so make sure you dive into the terror and darkness...all in two pages (or about 400 words).

Step 3: Once that's wrapped up, get back into your groups and share your letters. You might edit each other's letters as a group and choose the best letter to share with the larger classroom community. Teacher's choice. Just make sure at the end that everyone turns in their edited letters.