In The Fall of the House of Usher, Arthur Pym is the Usher family’s lawyer who has been covering up their crimes for years. Mark Hamill plays Arthur Pym.
The Ushers have never faced legal troubles, and it has a lot to do with their lawyer, Arthur Pym. Arthur is their fixer. He always finds a way to get them out of trouble and sweep their crimes under the rug. This has earned him the name “Pym Reaper”.
Arthur is a smart man. He could have done anything with his life, but he chose to work for the Ushers. He believes that he would not be where he is in his life if it were not for Roderick Usher. He knows the family’s secrets, but he is very loyal to them.
The Earth is hollow
When Arthur was barely 25, he became part of the Transglobe Expedition that circumnavigated the planet in 1979. Arthur saw the world, and even years later, he talks about all the things he encountered, but only to a point.
He never talks about what happened when he reached the North Pole. Arthur told Roderick’s children that the Earth was hollow. He also told them about an island that he found called Ultima Thule, the realm of the beings who live beneath humans and out of time.
Arthur’s claims are not believable. However, when Verna talks to him about his experiences, it makes one question whether this fiction is more inspired by reality than anyone knows.
Arthur witnessed such cruelty back then that it led him to believe that human beings are a virus. His perspective was changed forever. He also saw someone standing on the ice. Years later, he finds out that the entity he saw was Verna.
Arthur’s choice
When Roderick’s children die, it is Arthur who investigates. He always finds a way to enter the crime scene before the police and take anything that could be used against the Ushers.
Arthur comes to know that all the deaths are connected to one woman, Verna, in some way or the other. He also finds out that the said woman has been photographed with some of the most powerful people over the years and that she never ages.
Arthur goes to kill Verna, but he soon realizes that Verna cannot be killed, as she is not a human being. Verna knows everything about Arthur’s past and what he saw when he was 25, even the details that Arthur never shares with anyone.
She then tells Arthur what will happen once the Ushers are gone. Camille kept files on everyone. These files contain incriminating evidence and will be found by the authorities. Arthur will be sent to prison for his crimes.
Arthur was never punished for all the crimes he committed because of the deal that Roderick and Madeline made with Verna. Arthur enjoyed the immunity that the Ushers had. It was never Arthur’s, and he will lose it as soon as they die.
However, if he makes a deal with Verna, his file will not be found. Verna wants him to put something that he loves as collateral. Arthur, who has always considered collateral leverage, has nothing to offer Verna.
No one has ever leveraged him in his life, and he refuses to let that happen now. He chooses to face the consequences of his actions. In that regard, Arthur represents the people who did not make a deal with Verna and chose a different path from the Usher twins.
As a result, the files are found, and Arthur is arrested. He surrenders and does not defend himself in court. He will be spending the rest of his life in prison, but at least his end will not be as wretched as that of the Ushers.
Also Read: Verna: The Fall of the House of Usher character explained