“WE LOCKED HER ALIVE IN THE COFFIN!”

AN ANALYSIS OF THE HIDDEN HORRORS OF THE PSYCHE IN “THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER” (1839) BY EDGAR ALLAN POE

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34019/1983-8379.2024.v17.45818

Keywords:

Anima, House of Usher, Psyche, Shadow, Unconscious

Abstract

This article investigates the symbolic elements in the short story “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839) by Edgar Allan Poe. To achieve this, the connection between literature and analytical psychology was considered, with the purpose of understanding how the writer explores the human psyche and the repressed and unknown aspects of the mind through complex writing that delves into the darker dimensions of the human experience. The method used was descriptive-analytical. The theoretical framework includes the theoretical assumptions of Jung (2016), Borges Filho (2007), Zweig, and Abrams (2011), among others. Thus, the study focused on the characters, the house, and gothic elements. Consequently, the work examines the unconscious forces that govern behavior and perception, demonstrating how Poe constructs an atmosphere of psychological terror, investigating the deepest fears of the human being.

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Author Biographies

Mariana Lima Costa, UESPI

Graduada em Letras Português pela Universidade Estadual do Piauí (UESPI). Atualmente é mestranda em Letras na Universidade Estadual do Piauí (UESPI), campus de Teresina, Brasil. Financiada pela bolsa UESPI.

Denise Cardoso Góis Cardoso Góis , UESPI

Master's student in Literary Studies at the State University of Piauí (2024), with an emphasis on female authorship; Graduated in Portuguese Language and Literature from the State University of Piauí (2023).

Wanderson Lima Torres Wanderson Lima Torres, UESPI

Adjunct Professor III at the State University of Piauí (UESPI) - Clóvis Moura Campus - Teresina. Holds a Master's degree in Literature from UFPI (2004-2005) and a Ph.D. in Language Studies from UFRN (2008-2012). Professor in the Graduate Program in Literature at the State University of Piauí - PPGL/UESPI, with experience in the field of Literature, focusing mainly on the following areas: Literary Theory (studies of mimesis and the imaginary) and Comparative Literature (literature and cinema; dialogues between Brazilian and Hispanic-American literatures; Jorge Luis Borges; literature and religiosity; literature and myth). He is the editor of the electronic journal dEsEnrEdoS (ISSN 2175-3903).

References

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ZWEIG, C.; ABRAMS, J. (org). Ao encontro da sombra: o potencial oculto do lado escuro da natureza humana. 8 ed. São Paulo: Cultrix, 2011.

Published

2025-04-29

How to Cite

LIMA COSTA, M.; CARDOSO GÓIS , D. .; WANDERSON LIMA TORRES, J. “WE LOCKED HER ALIVE IN THE COFFIN!” : AN ANALYSIS OF THE HIDDEN HORRORS OF THE PSYCHE IN “THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER” (1839) BY EDGAR ALLAN POE. DARANDINA REVISTELETRÔNICA, Juiz de Fora, v. 17, n. 2, p. 132–143, 2025. DOI: 10.34019/1983-8379.2024.v17.45818. Disponível em: https://periodicos.ufjf.br/index.php/darandina/article/view/45818. Acesso em: 28 apr. 2026.

Issue

Section

Artigos - Dossiê temático