As the harsh realities of life insinuated upon him, Poe's works were dampened with the loss of many loved ones. His father abandoned the family, and his mother died of tuberculosis when Edgar was young. He was also scared of death; he panicked whenever he passed a cemetery, afraid that souls would chase him. He also had a phobia of being buried alive, which is seen in The Fall of the House of Usher.
His father in his foster home frequently argued and acted violently towards Poe, which forced him to enlist in the army. He later dropped out and received news that his brother had died because of tuberculosis. Later, his foster father died, which caused Poe to lament even more, despite the abusive relationship that they had. He went on to marry his cousin, Virginia. She was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and her gradual death was manifested in The Conqueror Worm. Poe believed that dark forces controlled everyone's fate, and no one could do anything to stop these dark forces.
