Bartleby, The Scrivener, By Herman Melville And The Fall...

â€Å"Bartleby, the Scrivener† by Herman Melville and â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† by Edgar Allen Poe both use isolated characters in a main role. These stories deal with how the isolation of man leads to the death of humanity. In a historical reference, the isolation of mentally ill men and women led to gruesome and inhumane practices while in the care of other people. Through the Middle Ages and until the establishment of asylums, treatments for mental illness were offered by â€Å"humanistic physicians, medical astrologers, apothecaries, and folk or traditional healers† (MacDonald 175). Aside from secular exorcisms, prayers, charms, amulets, and other mystical treatments were available. Sedatives during the 17th century consisted of opium grains to â€Å"ease the torment† of mental illness (MacDonald 190). Some treatment options existed beyond family custody and care, such as housing the mentally ill in workhouses or checking them into general hospitals where they were usually abandoned. Private ‘madhouses’ were established and run by members of the clergy to treat the mentally ill that could afford care. The clergy ran these facilities treating the mentally ill as â€Å"medical practice was a natural extension of ministers’ duty to relieve the afflictions of their flocks† (Houston). Catholic nations regularly staffed mental health facilities with clergy, and most mentally ill individuals â€Å"in Russia were housed in monasteries until asylums spread to this region of the world in theShow MoreRelatedDark Romanticism As A Literary Genre Essay2034 Words   |  9 Pagescharacterizations that showed the dark side of this idea. â€Å"In opposition to the American Transcendentalism movement common themes included shunning civilizations, seeing nature as evil an d dangerous and portraying humanity as innately sinful and immoral.† (Herman Melville and Dark Romanticism.November 07) Dark romantic works typically followed the same aspects of characterization such as creepy symbols, horrific themes, and psychological effects of guilt and sin. Because of these dark aspects that the writers followed