Poe On Setting

Poe on Setting Edgar Allan Poe creatively uses setting in “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Fall of the House of Usher”. The narrators in “Cask” and “Usher” describe settings that produce a dark and gloomy vision in our minds. Poe’s use of setting also seems to enhance the morbidity of Montresor in “Cask”, and Roderick Usher in “Usher”. The vivid use of setting in “Cask” and “Usher” create a sense of horror that …

…In both “Usher” and “Cask” Poe uses setting in a dramatic way. “Usher” would not have near the terrifying effect it does if the Mansion was presented as kept up and possessing stability. “Cask” would not be as horrific if Fortunato was left to die barricaded in an alley. Poe’s creative use of setting was the key factor in creating the scary feeling needed to get the full impact of both of these stories.