In “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe, dense symbolism surrounds the house and can lead the reader to deduce many conclusions on Roderick. se. Perhaps the most interesting insight lies in the femininity present in the story. Poe uses very specific descriptors in the story, many of which seem to indicate the woman's gentle, gentle, and delicate features. These justifications appear to be interconnected against death, and by the end of the story, they overwhelm any male threat that appears in the story. The omnipresent presence of women inside and outside the Usher mansion is indicative of Roderick's feminine qualities. Ultimately, Roderick's inability to deal with his homosexuality - indicated by the house and Roderick himself - leads to the destruction of "House of Usher" by the tendencies he attempted to suppress. Introductions to the feminine qualities of the house come early in the story. Hidden in the seemingly masculine details of the house – being made of stone and mastering nature – is a dominance of feminine symbolism. Poe describes the aura of the house as "the hideous fall of the [opioid] veil." (896) A “fine tangled web [falls] from the eaves” (Poe 898) and fungus has “invaded the entire [stone] exterior.” (Poe 898) Poe also describes the house as suffering “from the fading of ages.” (898) These descriptors symbolically tell the story of a woman's life. Poe's use of the term veil evokes images of the bridal veil, a distinctly feminine aspect of marriage and one that symbolizes youth, vitality, and the beginning of a marriage. From the energy of youth, the home faces disintegration, stagnation and ultimately the calm of middle of paper...... the constraints and expectations of society. As the house loses its battle against the feminine with "tarn…closing sullenly and silently on the fragments of the 'House of Usher'" (Poe 909), Roderick also loses his battle. A closer look at Madeline's character, if we view her as a projection of Roderick's feminine qualities, can provide and expand the argument that ultimately what he attempted to suppress overwhelms him. In the conflict between those who thrive and those who are lifeless, Poe suggests that by holding captive natural tendencies, such as homosexuality, one is led to destroy essential elements of oneself. Works Cited Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Fall of the House of Usher.” The Harbrace Anthology of Literature. 4th ed. Ed. Stott, Jon C., Raymond E. Jones, Rick Bowers, and William Connor. Toronto: Thomson Nelson, 2006. 896-909. Print.