Homework for Lesson #27, The Fall of the House of Usher

Jesse:

Firstly I think this is absolutely ridiculous, I don’t exactly want to put him in jail, I’m even sorry that I’m part of this, but I’m going to write about it anyway.

Your honor, I’m here today testifying for the old man, and for the faith we all have. No normal thinking people would admit that the suspect, isn’t crazy, so as the lawyer, I’m ought to precisely express my opinion by providing a few facts that may help all of us to understand our suspect, is the crime.

Now, let’s begin with the testimony given by the suspect. He creeps into the old man’s house at night and just look at his eyes, and maybe because he is full of jealousy, or an even worse motive. During the killing of the man, he used the mattress, but not a normal attacking weapon like a knife or even a gun, which at the first point indicate that he has a very weird thinking. After the killing, he dissembled the old man in the bathtub and sucked them down under the flooring. Let me explain it step by step, he dissemble the man, which is already crazy enough, a normal crime would just leave the victim alone, or bury it. However, our suspect dissembled him and hide them under the flooring, which indicate that he is a cold hearted person, he must have a lot of resentment in his heart and he must be very evil do that he can do such thing. 

As a human who have emotions, I can very much imagine the scene when the crime is dismembering the corpse and smiling with the evil forces inside his heart, his icy cold heart. I believe that the crime is not only killing the old man because of his eyes, he may have more reasons, but as I’m in the court I’m not suppose to make these supposition. To finalize my words, I believe that our suspect is not only insane, but totally without the emotions of a normal human which drove him to do such crazy things.

Sally:

I strongly suggest to put that the protagonist into jail, for he is not simply crazy but in fact a cold, hard, calculating murderer. First, I want to prove that he is not mentally crazy, or in other words, he does not have a mental disease or psychosis. People who had psychosis may totally lost control of their body. But our narrator actually clearly knows what he was doing and carefully planed it. Otherwise, he won’t got into that room so silent and kept still when he understood that man was already awake. Also, for a whole hour he did move a muscle. He also knows to hide the corpse after killing and that shows that he already planned the murder before doing. What he had done was completely impossible for a psychosis. 

Second, he might be a psychopath. His motive for killing was just because of that man’s eye. He described it as a “vulture’s eye--pale blue eye, with a film”. And he admitted that the man had never wronged me nor give me insult. In this case justing using the eyes as a motive is ridiculous. When he was going to killed the man, he seemed to be excited. He had no fear. Without hesitating, he killed the man quickly and he then smiled gaily. Throughout the story, he kept claiming that he was not mad, and he used examples to prove it. In those ways, I suppose that he is a psychopath.

At last, I think his reason for murdering the man was not that simple. If the man’s eyes are what he hate, why did he dismembered the corpse, cut off the head and the arms and the legs? And from “no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that”, we could see that he had planed the whole murder carefully and detailed designed. He even found a place to hide the corpse so no on can find it. “I showed them his treasures” tell us that he know exactly where the treasures are. So maybe the man’s treasures are the main reason for him killing and the vulture’s eyes were just a excuse.

In conclusion, he was not just crazy but in fact a dangerous person, and for the public’s safety, we should put him into jail.

James:

Ladies and Gentlemen:

As you all know, maybe briefly, that this young man killed a warm heart, weak old man who lived with him in a merciless way and he even scattered the dead body in pieces. Nobody knew this undeniable truth until he finally spoke to the police. Although he confessed his crime and showed with a broken heart and insisted he was in a trance just like a headless chicken, I still stated that his crime is definitely unforgivable.

First, if insanity is to do something crazy, he will do it immediately and without considering anything. But this guy, he hesitated outside the old man’s room for eight nights. It is undoubted that he had planned it, had planned all the process so consciously. He might first come out an idea and then set up a whole, detailed plan for his crime. A crazy man will do everything in a rush, unlike that, this young man made everything in an order with a cold but calm heart.

But where does the idea come from? It is certain that there is some misunderstanding or conflict between the young man and the old man. He told that the old man always stared him with eagle-like eyes that made him feel to be stabbed by a sharp knife. We have the justification to believe that the young man had did some terrible things, and the weak old man could do nothing to blame him except staring him every day. How horrible it is for that young man to kill him just because he bothered him for staring. And so we have the justification to believe that there is a cause to modify the young man instead of merely be crazy.

Finally, he divided the dead body in the bath tab, so no blood would remain. He acted quite well and even made friends with our policeman when they were searching in his home. He nearly handled the final part perfectly that our police didn't notice any difference in the man’s home at the very beginning of their meeting. If he didn't collapse in a heap on the floor at last, I can say that this old man would never be noticed by the world, when we find the truth one day, this man will be long gone, like the sand, which easily leak from our fingers. 

The crime is shocking, and the man made it even more fearsome for being so conscious. He dealt with every detail so well, which couldn't be revealed on a simply crazy man. And now he is here on a trail. We have to bring justice in the society and let the old man rest in peace. Ladies and Gentlemen，the final judge is up on you.