Madeline Usher
Roderick’s ill sister, glimpsed through the visitor’s uncertain account.
The book
Who they are in the book
Spoiler-freeMadeline Usher is Roderick Usher’s sister in The Fall of the House of Usher. She has little direct speech or explanation of her own. Readers encounter her largely through the visitor’s observations and Roderick’s account.
How the book draws them
- A quiet appearanceMadeline crosses a distant part of the room slowly, without acknowledging the visitor. Her first appearance gives the narrator little opportunity to know her.
- A striking resemblanceThe visitor sees a close resemblance between Madeline and Roderick. The story later identifies them as twins.
- An illness others cannot explainThe narrator reports wasting, withdrawal, and episodes resembling catalepsy. The physicians’ uncertainty remains part of the account.
- An effort to remain activeBefore taking to bed, Madeline continues moving through the house despite her condition. Her brother describes her illness as longstanding.
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