Cortázar’s and Poe’s Short Stories About Houses Essay

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Introduction

House Taken Over by Julio Cortázar is a short magical realism story that follows the story of a young couple gradually losing a familial house. Conversely, The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe is a gothic supernatural horror novel about a haunted house. At first glance, these stories are alike, utilizing similar storytelling instruments and imagery. However, closer examination reveals stark differences in tone, message, and thematic content. Moreover, generic allegiances of both narratives largely determine their intended messages or lack thereof. Despite being seemingly close setting-wise, the two stories diverge more than they relate.

Main body

Both stories take place in spacious hereditary houses, haunted or mystically taken over. In House Taken Over, Julio Cortázar assumes the role of the narrator, who lives with his partner, Irene, in a massive empty residency. Likewise, the unnamed protagonist of Poe’s novel visits his old friend residing in an old, haunted mansion. Poe and Cortázar draw vivid pictures of the houses’ internal arrangement and furnishing. In both narratives, the house is enveloped in mystery. This is where the distinctions between the two start to emerge. The house of Usher is a dark, sullen, unfamiliar, quietly terrifying place. Poe is not shy of expressiveness when describing the house’s horrifying atmosphere. The hereditary residency in Cortázar’s story radiates nostalgia and warmth, as the author clearly expresses a longing for that place, evident from the very first sentence of the text: “We liked the house because, apart from its being old and spacious, it kept the memories of great-grandparents, our paternal grandfather, our parents and the whole of childhood” (Pearson Education Inc. 37). Although Cortázar incorporates mystery by never explicitly disclosing who took over the house, he does not emphasize horror as much as Poe.

Another difference between the two stories lies in their core thematic focus. Cortázar’s tale can be viewed as an allegory for the then-current political condition of Argentina. The author dwells significantly on the character of Irene. Through the narrator’s relationship with her, the story conveys its central message – silence before the aggression. If projected to the real-world events of its time, House Taken Over suddenly makes more sense. They who take over the narrator’s house are not mystical entities; rather, they are political oppressors nobody dares to challenge. Both the narrator and Irene choose to live quietly, never attempting to resist the takeover that is not even hostile. In this sense, Cortázar provides a mystical account of a real event. Conversely, Edgar Allan Poe’s story can be interpreted as either an allegory for one’s growing madness, an exploration of the twins’ bonds, or having no connotation. Sharpness and melancholy conveyed through the text justify the novel’s allegiance to the gothic genre. Even the Usher mansion is reminiscent of the respective architectural style with its pointy, tall structures.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Cortázar’s Home Taken Over and Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher employ similar settings yet differ starkly in tone and thematic content. The former, being a work of magic realism, tells a mystical, fictional story of an oppressed young couple that evades resistance at the cost of their wealth and nonchalant existence, illustrating the real-world political turmoil of that time. Conversely, Edgar Allan Poe’s short tale does not have a universally agreed-upon interpretation. The narrative of a haunted house that drives its inhabitants might just be a story for the story’s sake. Both stories have their generic allegiance, either referencing reality or serving no transcendent goal.

Work Cited

Pearson Education Inc. MyPerspectives. Pearson, 2017.

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