Real Estate Critiques: House of Usher Edition

 Alright, what's the name of the contestant up for judgement? The Fall of the House of Usher? Of course, I love Poe. He has a natural tendency for the verge-of-insanity-and-death vibe, very goth chic.

I do say, I'm very excited to give my opinion about this famed house. Here folks, we have a marvel of architecture. Right off the bat we can see "vacant and eye-like windows" across the whole front of the house (2). Absolutely perfect for setting up the most unsettling feeling- the feeling of being watched- even before we enter. Be sure to make note of the integrity of the structure itself! I'm no architect, but it sure gives "little token of instability" (3). What wonderfully funny irony to slip in there for English classes to laugh about after the fact. 

Moving on, let's take a minute to appreciate the biota! Make note of the craftily placed fungi which hang like a "tangled web-work from the eaves" (3). Doesn't that just so beautifully insinuate that we're about to step into some messy trap? This coupled with using fungi- a symbol of both death and rot? Brilliant foreshadowing if I do say so myself Mr. Poe. In case first timers missed the fungi though, Mr. Poe was kind enough to repeatedly mention the "decayed trees" which surround the house (1). Once again, here we see the reflection of the manor's state: dying, and on the verge of collapse. 

Thank you for tuning in folks! There sure is a lot to unpack in this building, and I'm sure we've only scratched the surface. Unfortunately that's all the time (and words) we have today, so until next time!

Romeo in the Rye

On page 124 of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden has a conversation with two nuns, one of whom is an English teacher. It's pretty inconsequential to the book overall, but during that conversation they begin talking about Romeo and Juliet- specifically, Holden's opinion of it. So of course, now I'm going to compare the two works. 

Holden mentions how Mercutio was his favorite character in the play (same here). He was "much sorrier" when Mercutio died then when Romeo and Juliet did (Salinger 124). The reasons stated are he was "very smart and entertaining," and it was "especially" horrible because his death was "somebody else's fault"(Salinger 124). Pulling my inner-Freud, I say Holden's sadness over Mercutio's death goes further than just his endearment for the character. 

The way Holden describes Mercutio here is very reminiscent of the way he describes his late brother Allie. One of the first things Holden establishes about Allie was that he was a smart kid. Not just regular smart, but "the most intelligent member in the family" smart (Salinger 43). And from Holden's descriptions of how he'd laugh at things "so hard" he almost "fell off his chair," its pretty clear Holden thought he was fun too (Salinger 44). Brains and entertainment are Holden's two stated reasons for liking Mercutio. Then, of course, there's Allie's untimely death. It didn't come from a knife, and it wasn't anybody's fault, but it was still early and undeserved; Allie and Mercutio are both killed by factors out of their control. Knowing Holden's complete adoration for Allie, it's no surprise the character he favors and grieves for most in Romeo and Juliet is the one whose life mirrors his late brother's.