Unveiling the Epic Transglobe Expedition in House of Usher's Arthur Gordon Pym

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Fall of the House of Usher.

Summary

Arthur Gordon Pym, the attorney for the Usher family, adeptly manages their legal matters, safeguarding them from any potential legal complications.

Pym's participation in the Transglobe Expedition reveals insights into his character and intentions, alluding to a perilous encounter near the Arctic.

While Pym in the show shares similarities with Edgar Allan Poe's novel, facing trials and encountering supernatural beings, the show explores his story further beyond the adventure. The Fall of the House of Usher intentionally leaves many aspects of Arthur Gordon Pym's history ambiguous, but drops enough real-world allusions to suggest why he is a trusted attorney for the Ushers. Although not officially a member of the Usher family in the story, Arthur Gordon Pym is regarded as an integral part of their inner circle, particularly by Roderick and Fredrick. However, despite his significant role in the broader narrative, The Fall of the House of Usher remains secretive about his motives for working with the family and his personal background.

Arthur Gordon Pym's Role In The Usher Family & Past Explained

: Revealing the Enigmatic Past of Roderick Pym: The Transglobe Expedition Connection and Edgar Allan Poe References

Right from the start, The Fall of the House of Usher reveals that Arthur Gordon Pym serves as the personal attorney for the Usher family. His primary duty is to handle all legal matters concerning them. The show presents him as remarkably proficient in his role, ensuring that the Ushers avoid any legal complications despite engaging in various questionable practices within their respective businesses. Whenever the Ushers encounter potential legal troubles in the Netflix series, he intervenes and ensures that everyone is informed about the necessary actions or statements.

For instance, in

The True Story Of Arthur's Transglobe Expedition In House Of Usher

, "The Masque of the Red Death," Frederick advises Prospero to maintain silence during meetings with individuals and organizations accusing them of violating environmental regulations. Instead, he suggests that Prospero should solely repeat the predetermined words as instructed by Pym in such situations: "We at Fortunado take our responsibility to the environment very seriously, and we are aligned with you in our mutual goal of compliance with any and all of the regulatory guidelines." Frederick even emphasizes the extensive legal knowledge and expertise of Pym as the family's legal representative by claiming that Pym's capabilities equal those of 6 or 7 attorneys, thereby showcasing the immense trust the Ushers place in him.

Roderick reveals to Dupin that Pym is no ordinary attorney during the middle of The Fall of the House of Usher. He explains that Pym was part of the Transglobe Expedition, a real expedition that took place from 1979 to 1982. Led by British adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the Transglobe Expedition involved a longitudinal journey from one pole to another using surface transport. The expedition faced numerous challenges, including severe weather conditions and the physical and mental strain of prolonged isolation.

How House Of Usher's Arthur Gordon Pym Compares To Edgar Allan Poe's Short Story

Roderick also mentions that while Pym often reminisces about his experiences during the journey, he refrains from disclosing what transpired at the North Pole. Additionally, Pym started sharing with children after the expedition that the Earth was hollow. He even declared the discovery of a concealed place called Ultima Thule on the North Pole, where beings existed in a realm beyond humanity's comprehension of time and space. This could symbolize Pym's likely encounter with imminent danger at the North Pole. Furthermore, it implies that Pym may have encountered other beings similar to Verna, considering Verna's assertion of existing outside the confines of space and time when striking an initial deal with Roderick and Madeline.

The character Arthur Gordon Pym in Edgar Allan Poe's novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket serves as the basis for The Fall of the House of Usher's Arthur Gordon Pym. Despite the narrative predating the Transglobe Expedition, Roderick's memories of Pym's experiences during the expedition align with Poe's depiction of his character's adventures in The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. Just like the Arthur Gordon Pym portrayed in the novel, the titular character embarks on a global journey and confronts numerous trials and challenges.

In the book, the character goes as far as practicing cannibalism to stay alive and experiences intense solitude throughout his journey. Similar to Pym in the show, the Edgar Allan Poe character also encounters peculiar occurrences and encounters supernatural beings that defy logical understanding. However, the major contrast between the book's depiction of the character and how Pym is portrayed in "The Fall of the House of Usher" is that the book intentionally keeps his destiny concealed, whereas the show mainly focuses on his narrative many years after the expedition.