Adapted from the fall of the house of usher by edgar allen poe
roderick usher had been one of my companions in boyhood, but many years had elapsed since our last meeting.
a letter, however, had lately reached me in a distant part of the country-a letter from him-which, in its wildly
importunate nature, had admitted of no other than a personal reply. the ms gave evidence of nervous agitation.
the writer spoke of acute bodily illness-of a mental disorder which oppressed him-and of an earnest desire to
see me, as his best and indeed his only personal friend, with a view of attempting, by the cheerfulness of my
society, some alleviation of his malady. it was the manner in which all this, and much more, was said-it was the
apparent heart that went with his request-which allowed me no room for hesitation; and i accordingly obeyed
forthwith what i still considered a very singular summons.
although, as boys, we had been even intimate associates, yet i really knew little of my friend. his reserve had been
always excessive and habitual. i was aware, however, that his very ancient family had been noted, time out of
mind, for a peculiar sensibility of temperament, displaying itself, through long ages, in many works of exalted art,
and manifested, of late, in repeated deeds of charity, as well as in a passionate devotion to the intricacies,
perhaps even more than to the orthodox and easily recognizable beauties, of musical science,
based on evidence in the passage, readers can infer that the narrator..
o a
b
o c
od
is suffering from a mental disorder.
has a well-known family
is not very excited about seeing his old friend
has no friends other than roderick