1. Critical Analysis

2. What really happens in The Fall of the House of Usher? Is Madeline Usher really buried alive and then escape from her tomb? Or do the men only imagine that she does? Do they see a ghost? Does the house literally collapse? Or does the fall of the house really just refer to the end of the family line? Is our narrator reliable or is he also suffering from delusions, like his friend?

3. Write a brief critical analysis addressing an area of ambiguity in The Fall of the House of Usher A critical analysis is simply a persuasive essay written over a piece of literature. Your job is to state an opinion and then support it with proof from the text

4. Your thesis statement should state your topic and your opinion. For example: Madeline Usher does not ever really exist. Her brother is suffering from multiple delusions as a result of his mental illness; Madeline is one of them.

5. Your job is then to prove that your thesis is logical, based on the evidence in the text. For example, to support the previous thesis you would discuss how Roderick believes the stones are alive. Then you would find other evidence of his (and perhaps the narrators) delusional state.

6. Essays should be 1 ½ to 2 pages long. All references to the story should be cited using MLA format. No outside research is required. Essays should be typed double-space, using 12 point Times New Roman font. All essays are due on Monday.