The Mysterious Fate of Annabel Lee: Unveiling the Enigma at the House of Usher

WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for The Fall of the House of Usher!

Summary

The enigmatic destiny of Annabel Lee casts a shadow on the narrative of The Fall of the House of Usher, her untimely demise serving as a poignant testament to the depths to which Roderick had plummeted.

Roderick's affection for Annabel Lee is underscored as one of his utmost redeeming attributes prior to his descent into the malign influence of material wealth and authority.

Annabel Lee's death, possibly due to a broken heart, symbolizes the destruction of even the most innocent souls in the relentless pursuit of wealth and power.

The absence of Roderick Usher's wife, Annabel Lee, in the current story of The Fall of the House of Usher leaves her mysterious fate hanging over the narrative. Although Roderick Usher, portrayed by Bruce Greenwood, is married to Juno in the present timeline of the show, Mike Flanagan's Netflix series frequently includes flashbacks to 1979, during which young Roderick is married to Annabel Lee (played by returning Mike Flanagan actor Katie Parker). It is revealed that Annabel Lee is the mother of Roderick's two oldest children, Frederick and Tamerlane, but her adult children barely mention her or her fate.

The Fall of the House of Usher suggests that despite having had four other children and a second wife, Roderick's true love was Annabel Lee. This deep affection for her is highlighted as one of his most admirable qualities prior to his rise as Fortunato's CEO. He would often write love poems for her in the past. However, Auggie mentions that Roderick eventually "lost" Annabel Lee, and the tragic circumstances surrounding her fate are unveiled towards the conclusion of The Fall of the House of Usher.

The Fall Of The House Of Usher Suggests Annabel Lee Died Of A Broken Heart

In the final moments of The Fall of the House of Usher, it is revealed that Annabel Lee passed away at a young age, approximately over three decades prior to the events of the present timeline depicted in the Mike Flanagan horror TV show. Roderick discloses that he witnessed her apparition during Frederick and Tamerlane's funeral, where a young Annabel Lee clarifies that Roderick took their children away from her because of his wealth. His affluence and greed ultimately triumphed over their children, leaving them defenseless against its influence. Roderick himself acknowledges that he drained away any goodness and purity inherited from Annabel Lee, consequently transforming Frederick and Tamerlane into materialistic and emotionally detached individuals before they met their demise during subsequent encounters.

Although The Fall of the House of Usher does not explicitly specify the cause of Annabel Lee's death, Roderick suggests that her broken heart was the culprit. In response to Auggie's remark that Roderick lost her, Roderick quotes a line from Edgar Allan Poe's poem, Annabel Lee, "A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling my beautiful Annabel Lee." This verse in the poem suggests that Annabel Lee succumbed to an illness, but Auggie's rejoinder, referring to Roderick as the "wind," implies that he was responsible for her demise. It is inferred that Annabel severed ties with Roderick after being lied to, and her children's transformation further shattered her emotionally. Roderick also mentions that Annabel could not bear to live without them, suggesting that she either took her own life or succumbed to an illness against which she had lost the will to fight.

What Annabel Lee's Death Means In The Fall Of The House Of Usher

At the conclusion of The Fall of the House of Usher, Roderick confesses his willingness to climb to the pinnacle of the tower atop a heap of corpses, with Annabel Lee being among the casualties, symbolizing his descent into depravity. Initially, Annabel Lee served as the redeeming force in Roderick's life, until he abandoned his principles in pursuit of wealth. Her demise serves as a stark reminder of the depths to which Roderick had fallen. This narrative showcases how even the purest souls are destroyed in the ruthless pursuit of money and power. Roderick's ill-fated agreement with the devil eradicated any remnants of kindness and goodness.

In the ultimate reckoning of The Fall of the House of Usher, Roderick's greed claims the life of Lenore, his granddaughter, who embodied the spirit and goodness of Annabel Lee. Just like her grandmother, Lenore falls victim to Roderick's insatiable desire for wealth. Annabel Lee represents the opulent life that Roderick could have enjoyed had he not prioritized money and power through his agreement with the character Verna, played by Carla Gugino. When Roderick was poor, he had a loving wife and two adoring children who would have grown up under their mother's kind influence. However, he discarded it all in his pursuit of material wealth, resulting in Annabel's death and the corruption of their children.