The House and Its InhabitantsIn the story "The Fall of the House of Usher", Poe presents the story of the end of an illustrious family. As in many of Poe's stories, the setting and atmosphere contribute greatly to the overall tale. Poe's descriptions of the house itself and its inhabitants evoke a feeling of sadness and terror in the reader. This can best be seen by first considering Poe's description of the house and then comparing it to the description of its inhabitants, Roderick and Madeline Usher. Poe uses several descriptive words in his portrayal of the house. The reader's first impression of the house comes from a direct observation of the narrator. This unnamed narrator states, “…at first sight of the building, a sense of unbearable sadness pervaded my spirit.” As the narrator continues to describe the house, he uses several equally sad adjectives. The darkness experienced by the narrator is not limited to just the house itself. The vegetation surrounding the area is described as “some lush sedges and… some white trunks of decayed trees.” It highlights these aspects of the house and its surroundings by reaffirming the descriptions reflected in a "black and filthy pond". The narrator points out that the house appears to be in dilapidated condition. While he states that the house appears structurally sound, he takes time to comment on “the dilapidated state of the individual stones.” He also underlines the long history of the house, stating that its characteristics recall "excessive antiquity". One of the most striking descriptions used to portray the house are those of the windows and the crack. He describes the windows as "vacant [and] eye-like." With this description the narrator effectively anthropomorphizes the house. In this way it almost gives a character status to the house. The other exceptional description is that of the crack. It is described as “a barely perceptible crack, [extending] from the roof of the building opposite, [making] its way along the wall in a zigzag direction, until [it is lost] in the dark waters of the pond. " It is interesting that the narrator takes so long to describe a feature that he describes as barely noticeable. The first of the two Ushers to be introduced to the reader is Roderick. He is first seen lying on a sofa.