Gothic Romanticism: Hawthorne, Poe and Baudelaire

"The Fall Of The House Of Usher"

             The reason for Roderick Usher's weaknesses and always being nervous are accounted for his sister, Madeline, being a vampire. It is very clear throughout the story that she is in fact a vampire. From her before she killed Roderick wearing a white, bloody robe, to her being buried in a tomb. Poe does a very good job as putting in the details to make me as a reader see what he is trying to say. After Madeline was supposed to be dead, she somehow rose back up, which confirms my theory even more because as everyone knows, vampires are immortal. I believe that the reason Madeline went to kill Roderick in the end is because she had to have blood to drink to be able to come back from the dead, and survive. This part of the story reminds me of how when Bella, from The Twilight Saga, in the the book New Moon was having her birthday party at the Cullen's house and cut her finger when opening a present. It reminds me of this because of how Jasper jumped across the room to try and attack her.
    
                In the story "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" Hawethorn criticizes the human nature by focusing on our selfishness as humans. He does this by using the quote, "I would not stoop to bathe my lips in it--no, though its delirium were for years instead of moments. Such is the lesson ye have taught me!". He is showing that the men who took this potion were taking advantage of what they have had and did not deserve any of it. In "The Masque Of The Red Death" Poe criticizes human nature by showing how people who think they are better than everyone, are in fact not. By Prospero only letting disease free victims into the party he was destined to die by showing favoritism and discriminating against the others. In the end yes, both authors do have similar attitudes towards human nature. They both show the bad sides of us humans and think that we are way to full of ourselves.