In "The Fall of the House of Usher", what is exactly meant by "sentience" and why is this idea important in the story?"The Fall of the House of...

A sentient being is one with consciousness. It thinks and exists as its own entity. This is important because the house in this story is sentient; it understands the incestuous nature of its inhabitants and essentially commits suicide as a result. Only a sentient being can consciously destroy itself out of disgust.