I needed to use the premise of the Fall Of the House of Usher to complete a little quip in a letter. I read its text on this forum for the first time in years. Was this abridged or did I not pick up the symbolism?

I could have sworn there were passages about his loan sharking at a younger age (Usery) and then his attempted redemption as a solid church going citizen in his older days, yet his house caves in at the end over the patent phoniness of his attempted redemtion.

Am I confusing this with Ray Bradury's knock off in the sci-fi realm (going to search that one now). Or am I totally off base on this?

-- Anonymous, February 18, 2001

Answers

J Bishop,

I do not recall your description as an element of the story "The Fall of the House of Usher" but it sounds like it may have come from Poe's "Diddling – Considered as One of the Exact Sciences." This was a humorous little essay on the many types of "rip-offs" of the early 19th century and may have included usury as one of the offenses. I cannot speak to the works of Ray Bradbury but your base theory is looking promising. (just kidding : )

Regards,

-- Anonymous, February 19, 2001