Flaw in the Front of the House Early in the Story

The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe Early in the story, the narrator observes a significant flaw in the front of the House of Usher: a "barely perceptible fissure" or crack that runs from the roof down the front wall of the house, extending in a zigzag direction until it disappears into the waters of the tarn at the base of the structure

. This fissure is subtle and might only be noticed by a careful observer, but it is crucial both structurally and symbolically. The crack suggests the physical decay and instability of the house, foreshadowing its eventual collapse. Symbolically, it reflects the fragmentation and decline of the Usher family itself, reinforcing the story’s themes of deterioration and doom

. Other minor details noted in the story’s opening include vacant, eye-like windows and a general sense of gloom and neglect, but the fissure is the most significant flaw described in the front of the house