Concetti Chiave
- Edgar Allan Poe experienced happiness during his marriage to his cousin Virginia and published his only novel, "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym," in 1838.
- The novel echoes the traditional hero's journey, involving suffering and transformation, akin to an alchemic process exploring the human condition.
- The plot follows Arthur Gordon Pym, who secretly boards a ship with his friend, facing mutiny, storms, cannibalism, and indigenous tribes before being rescued.
- Poe's other works are short stories, notably "Tales of Ratiocination," featuring clever detectives and influencing the future of psychological thrillers.
- Poe's stories are concise, focusing on mental and sensory experiences, with minimal action, aiming for a "single effect" and featuring weak female characters.
Edgar Allan Poe (
He had a happy period when he married his cousin Virginia, and in 1838 he published his only novel, “The narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym”.
It was so relevant that both Lovecraft in At the same time in the novel seems to be echoing the traditional route of the hero that experience sufferings, anguish and death in order to save and improve his life, almost resurrecting from his previous self, and explore another dimension of the human being.
This concept can be linked both with the alchemic formula “The story that is narrated in the novel is claimed to be true because the events that the main character had to live were real.
The plot focuses on the young Arthur Gordon Pym who decided to secretly embark himself in a barn, “The Grampus”, with the help of his close friend Augustus Barnard, to travel through the sea leaving all his reality at the back.
But, his journey was not steady because of: a mutiny, heavy rain and a tempest, episodes of cannibalism among the surviving crew, the presence of violent indigenous tribes in an archipelagoes and the escape to South Pole.
At end another ship, “The Jane Guy” happened to rescue Arthur Gordon Pym so that the protagonist’s journey could continue without terrible consequences.
All his others works are short stories or collections of short stories:
- “- “Tales of ratiocination”: these are detective stories, in which there’s a very clever detective helped by an assistant who balances his superiority (such as in “The murders in the Rue Morgue”).
This kind of stories (the smart detective and the "normal" assistent) reminds to Sherlock Holmes' novels but, at the same time, Poe’s short stories were so important because they anticipate the psychological thriller which will be fully developed in the USA after the First World War and before the Second one.
Poe’s tales are quite short in order to be read in one sitting; they are simple, with no action, because they focus on the character’s work of mind and sensations, with deep psychological analysis, and all the elements in the story are thought to convey in a “single effect” at the end of the story. 
There are very few women, and they are weak and ill, in fact they resemble his mother and his wife; there is also an internal time (the time that his perceived by the main character) and an external time (the chronological time).
Domande da interrogazione
- What is the significance of Edgar Allan Poe's novel "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym"?
- What is unique about the structure and style of Poe's short stories?
"The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym" is significant as it explores themes of heroism, suffering, and transformation, echoing the traditional hero's journey. It also delves into the human psyche, linking to alchemic concepts, and is noted for its adventurous plot involving mutiny, cannibalism, and exploration.
Poe's short stories are designed to be read in one sitting, focusing on psychological depth rather than action. They aim to create a "single effect" through a deep analysis of characters' minds and sensations, often featuring weak and ill female characters reminiscent of Poe's personal life.
Accedi a tutti gli appunti
Tutor AI: studia meglio e in meno tempo
