Final answer:
The mirror in Poe's 'The Fall of the House of Usher' is portrayed as 'a little god' through its thematic significance in reflecting impending doom and intensifying the story's overall tone of despair.
Step-by-step explanation:
The mirror is portrayed as 'a little god' in several ways throughout Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Fall of the House of Usher.' Firstly, Roderick and Madeline are described as mirror images of each other, symbolizing impending doom which intensifies the fatalistic theme. The mirror reflections serve as a motif for the underlying despair and hopelessness that pervade the narrative. Additionally, during the story's climax, a series of mirrored events unfold, paralleling the storyline with Madeline's escape from her tomb, which escalates the suspense and ultimately leads to Roderick's mental breakdown. Lastly, the way the narrator reflects on the environment, pondering the transformation that a different arrangement might offer, suggests that mirrors and reflections contribute significantly to the setting's oppressive atmosphere. These narrative elements exemplify the mirror's role as a powerful, god-like force influencing and dictating the course of the story.