Decades-Long Curse Plagues the Usher Family: Unveiling the House of Usher Theory

Article Overview

The theory suggests that the curse on the Usher family began before they made a deal with Verna, and their decisions and wrongdoings contributed to their own fate.

Longfellow, the biological father of Roderick and Madeline, possibly struck a deal with Verna before the curse befell the Usher family.

Verna presumably maintained a vigilant watch over Roderick and Madeline throughout their existence, suggesting that their decisions might have been shaped by the lingering effects of their past afflictions.

The Fall of the House of Usher's Verna twist holds a theory that the Usher family was cursed long before their association with Madeline and Roderick. While the story intermittently shifts between the past and present, it gradually unveils the connection between Roderick, Madeline, and their encounter with Verna in 1979, leading to their family's current tragic fate. However, an intriguing theory complicates the narrative by proposing that Verna's curse originated prior to their involvement, potentially explaining the Usher family's misfortune. When analyzing the details presented in Mike Flanagan's The Fall of the House of Usher, this seemingly bizarre theory gains credibility.

The Fall Of The House Of Usher Theory Explained: Longfellow Cursed The Ushers Before Madeline & Roderick

House of Usher theory reveals Longfellow made a deal with Verna first

In a crucial scene from The Fall of the House of Usher, Arthur Gordon Pym presents photographs of Verna alongside various exceptionally affluent families and individuals, such as the Kochs, Mark Zuckerberg, Gina Rinehart, and the Trumps. This seemingly implies that a majority, if not all, of the elites within The Fall of the House of Usher's universe have entered into some sort of agreement with Verna at one point or another. Given the significance of the Usher family in The Fall of the House of Usher's narrative, it is difficult to overlook the assumption that the curse bestowed upon them began when Madeline and Roderick made a pact with her on New Year's Eve in 1979.

According to a plausible theory, the origins of their curse may be attributed to Longfellow, who shared the immoral and wealthy characteristics of the Ushers. This theory suggests that prior to targeting Madeline and Roderick, Verna may have approached Longfellow, recognizing his willingness to disregard moral boundaries in order to bestow great wealth upon Fortunato. It is possible that, like Madeline and Roderick, Longfellow also fell into Verna's trap and faced the consequences when Eliza Usher, resurrected from her grave, took his life.

The Fall of the House of Usher clearly indicates that Longfellow was the biological father of Madeline and Roderick. This suggests that, similar to how Roderick's pact with Verna influenced the fate of his children, Longfellow's agreement with Verna predetermined the destiny of Madeline and Roderick, even before their acquisition of wealth. If, hypothetically, this theory is accurate, were Madeline and Roderick always confined to their predetermined future? Or could they exercise free will to break the curse and avoid sharing their father's fate?

William Longfellow's Deal With Verna Could Explain Why He Rejected Roderick & Madeline

Roderick & Madeline made their own dynasty instead of dying with their father's

The stakes and terms of making deals with Verna can vary for different families and individuals, as evident from the involvement of renowned families like Vanderbilts and Kennedys. Verna's arrangement with Arthur Pym offers two contrasting outcomes - riding the phoenix out of Fortunato's ashes or watching it fly away from a federal prison cell. This highlights Verna's tendency to set different conditions for each person, where their bloodline ceases to exist following the deal. Longfellow, in all likelihood, accumulated his wealth and power with the understanding that his legacy would perish alongside him.

This could have resulted in him being unable to have children and recognizing his biological offspring, which could explain why Madeline and Roderick are not considered the "Longfellows." The fact that Eliza Usher mysteriously comes back to life only to kill Longfellow before collapsing again suggests that Verna may have used her as a medium to teach Longfellow a lesson. In The Fall of the House of Usher, every death has a supernatural element to it, as Verna ensures that her victims suffer in order to learn from their immoral actions. Verna may have orchestrated Longfellow's murder by his own true love as a way to demonstrate the consequences of his betrayal.

Longfellow Making A Deal With Verna Means She Would Have Been Watching Madeline & Roderick All Along

Verna keeps tabs on her "clients"

Regardless of whether Roderick and Madeline's fates were directly tied to Verna's agreement with Longfellow, it appears probable that she closely monitored the two siblings. She must have observed them throughout their lives, anticipating whether they would opt for a relatively ordinary existence or follow in their father's ambitious footsteps. Verna might have spared them if they had adhered to a righteous path. Alternatively, had Roderick ignored his sister's counsel and chosen to remain loyal to Annabel Lee, Verna would have only approached Madeline with the agreement. However, given how Roderick and Madeline's future unethical choices were molded by their childhood trauma and suffering, it is difficult not to contemplate whether they ever had a choice or if everything from their initial encounter with Verna to their gruesome demise was predestined.

Gris Likely Also Made A Deal With Verna After Longfellow's Death

Gris' death may have been part of Verna's plan

In Roderick's 1979 timeline in The Fall of the House of Usher, it is confirmed that Griswold reached the peak of material success at one point. However, Dupin's investigation uncovers Griswold's unethical and immoral methods used to achieve his success. This suggests that Verna may have struck a deal with him, promising him wealth but a lonely and miserable fate. Just as Verna used Julius' cat, Pluto, and Eliza Usher to punish others, she likely manipulated Madeline and Roderick to execute her plan to kill Griswold.

If this is true, Madeline and Roderick were never truly given a choice, and their destinies were predetermined from the day they were born. This raises the question of whether Verna is a supernatural being punishing wrongdoers or an evil demon who derives pleasure from leading people astray and causing their suffering. The latter seems more likely because Roderick's choices in The Fall of the House of Usher were influenced by his experiences with his biological father, Longfellow. Without Roderick's early choices, most of his children would not exist, and Frederick would have been a different person without the shadow of Roderick's success and wealth looming over him. However, these choices in the story were inevitable due to Roderick's past with Longfellow.

Editor's P/S

As an enthusiastic fan of the Fall of the House of Usher, I am intrigued by the theory that the Usher family was cursed long before their association with Madeline and Roderick. This theory adds depth and complexity to the narrative, suggesting that the family's tragic fate was set in motion by their own decisions and wrongdoings.

The idea that Longfellow, the biological father of Roderick and Madeline, may have struck a deal with Verna before the curse befell the Usher family is particularly intriguing. It suggests that the curse was not simply a result of Madeline and Roderick's pact with Verna, but rather a consequence of a long history of immoral and wealthy behavior by the Usher family. This theory also raises the question of whether Madeline and Roderick were always confined to their predetermined future, or if they could have exercised free will to break the curse and avoid sharing their father's fate.

Overall, I believe that this theory adds a great deal to the story of the Fall of the House of Usher. It suggests that the Usher family's downfall was not simply a matter of bad luck or chance, but rather the result of their own actions and choices. It also raises interesting questions about the nature of fate and free will, and the consequences of making deals with the devil.