The Fall of the House of Usher

What is the narrator's initial reaction to the sight of his friend Usher, and how does he feel about the prospect of cheering him up?

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The narrator is shocked by his friends appearance, his skin was white, and the glint in Usher's eyes frightened him. The prospect of cheering Usher up seems like a daunting task.

Surely, no man had ever before changed as Roderick Usher had! Could this be the friend of my early years? It is true that his face had always been unusual. He had gray-white skin; eyes large and full of light; lips not bright in color, but of a beautiful shape; a well-shaped nose; hair of great softness — a face that was not easy to forget. And now the increase in this strangeness of his face had caused so great a change that I almost did not know him. The horrible white of his skin, and the strange light in his eyes, surprised me and even made me afraid. His hair had been allowed to grow, and in its softness it did not fall around his face but seemed to lie upon the air. I could not, even with an effort, see in my friend the appearance of a simple human being.