Setting in the Fall of the House of Usher Dark romanticism was very popular in 19th century America. It is a literary genre originating from romanticism and transcendentalism. The tenets of transcendentalism included finding God in nature and seeing beyond the physical world. Dark romanticism examines the conflict between good and evil and the psychological effect of sin and guilt in the human mind. Edgar Allen Poe is a very famous writer of dark romanticism. Poe is well known for his numerous poems and short stories. He is also well known for the recurring theme of death in his stories and poems. In the short story “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe, setting is used to create the mood of the story, foreshadow future events, describe the characteristics of the characters, and show who they really are. Edgar Allan Poe uses the setting to create a melancholy and dark mood in the story. The story begins with an unnamed narrator traveling on a “gloomy, dark, silent day” (Poe 1). The story is already in a dark mood, with no mention of House Usher. Before the narrator enters the house, he describes it as "reverse images of the gray sedge, the horrible stems of trees, and the empty, eye-like windows" (Poe 2). Usher's house looks dilapidated, scary and dark, like a haunted house. The setting of the first two pages creates this sad and scary mood throughout the rest of the story. Poe uses words such as “black, vacant, rotten, gray, gothic, and slow” to create atmosphere. This creates a very effective atmosphere throughout the story and the story revolves around the atmosphere in its entirety, showing that this is no ordinary house and that evil is involved. Edgar Allan Poe uses the setting...... middle of paper. ....uses the setting of the story, "The Fall of the House of Usher" to set the overall mood of the story, foreshadow what will happen at the end of the story, and show character traits. Poe creates a dark and melancholy mood at the beginning of the story and we already know that this is no ordinary house, as it is located in a dreary part of the country. As the narrator approaches the house and enters, it is evident that some sort of evil will be involved. The crack in the wall suggests that there will be a tragic ending to the story. The decor also reveals the character traits of the Bailiffs. The narrator sees that they have created their own world and are obsessed with death. Edgar Allan Poe uses the setting of this story to its fullest, creating a dark mood, foreshadowing the end of the story and establishing the overall character traits..