In the world of literature, there are several genres that pique the varied interests of readers of any age. One genre in particular that seems to gain wide acclaim is fiction. Under this genre there are several classifications, and one can find writers that are classified as mystery writers and/or gothic writers. One in particular that has not only been influential in this area, but has also brought other elements in from other genres, is Edgar Allan Poe. Although many critics may argue that the mystery genre and gothic genre should never coincide, Edgar Allan Poe defied the odds and brought these two genres together in some of his works. He also received acclaim for works that have elements of solely mystery and gothic characteristics in …show more content…
In Poe’s story ‘The Cask of Amontillado,” the subject and story line revolves around a murder. Unlike “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” the main character explains how he committed the murder. Without a detective in the story, the reader is challenged to solve the mystery at hand. Specifically these are called 'extensive mysteries', which are mysteries that “defy reason.” On the other hand,“The Murders in the Rue Morgue” would be classified as an “investigative mystery” which consists of an investigative case in order to discover and eliminate a mystery. Additionally, a story that does not have a clear solution, or reason why a criminal is doing what he or she did, makes a mystery that much more …show more content…
Let’s take for example, his tale “The Tell Tale Heart,” which is classified as a psychological mystery and gothic story. In this tale, the reader knows not only who the true killer is, but the reader also understands that the narrator is unsteady. Essentially, the reader understands that the narrator was disturbed by the old man’s eye and in order to get rid of this disturbance he had no other choice but to kill the old man. He finally committed the crime on the eight night which kept the reader waiting and built suspense. Even when the police come, it is suspenseful wondering if the police will figure out who committed the crime. Here it is important to note that without this knowledge on the what, why, or how in full detail the reader would be left to analyze this gothic tale and come up with their own conclusion and answers to these particular questions. Here the some of the necessary gothic themes of death, decay, madness, and chaos are not only present in this work, but in several of Edgar Allan Poe’s other tales. Analyst Louis Bernard said, “whenever we write a mystery, whenever we write horror, whenever we write science fiction—whenever we write about obsession—we’re following in his tracks.” He also added that “[Edgar Allan Poe] wasn’t just a mystery/suspense writer,” but “he was the first.” Poe’s work in gothic fiction is
“Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.” Poe believed that a story had to have the reality of horror with in. All of his stories had gothic horror in them. Edgar Allen Poe’s short stories, “The Black Cat” and “The Masque of the Red Death” are good examples of gothic literature because they involve paranormal activity, insane characters, and terrifying deaths.
Edgar Allan Poe has been known for writing stories of mystery and horror. He has
In normal life, people will sometimes suffer from depression or sickness caused by the loss of a loved one in a romantic or family relationship. This has been a part of life for hundreds of years and it is a way that authors like Edgar Allan Poe, William Faulkner and Horacio Quiroga connect with people all throughout the world. Using exaggerated scenarios, these authors communicate how much of an impact isolation or abandonment can have on a person physically or mentally decaying.
When you think about the first detective story ever written, Edgar Allen Poe probably doesn’t come to mind. He is most known for his melancholic and gruesome tales of stories such as a guilty man’s conscience giving him the impression of hearing the man he killed heart beating through the floorboards, or even a raven symbolizing the inevitable death we will all face. Despite these well-known contributions, his writings concerning the detective field have left an indisputable mark on pieces following his time.
Edgar Allan Poe was a 19th century American writer who is best known for his poetries and short stories.Poe wrote in many genres;however, his most famous works were written in the mystery or horror genre.According to Robert Giordano,”Poe wrote quite a few gothic stories about murder, revenge, torture, the plague, being buried alive, and insanity” (Giordano).Many of his prominent works include “The Raven,”The Fall of the House of Usher,” and ”The Tell-tale Heart.” The spectacular work of Edgar Allan Poe would be commended and acknowledged throughout history.
Gothic literature contains many thematic elements such as horror, death, and even at times romanticism. This type of literature incorporates various different elements, in order to evoke the emotions of terror. There are many authors who are extremely talented and are still remembered and read in classrooms today. These are authors like Edgar Allan Poe, best known for his mysterious poems and short stories, Richard Matheson and Horacio Quiroga, who have all incorporated psychological problems and violence themes in their short stories in order to fascinate the readers and add suspense to the story. These three gothic authors correlate the themes of violence and the psychological/ mental issues in order to depict anticipation and terror
"In one case out of a hundred a point is excessively discussed because it is obscure; in the ninety-nine remaining it is obscure because it is excessively discussed." This quote by Edgar Allan Poe describes his obscure works which have been discussed and criticized in great detail for many years to come. Some readers believe that his works are too dark and eccentric maybe even deathly. Others believe his works to be masterpieces. However, one thing that is not up for debate is the fact that Edgar Allan Poe is a literary genius. Edgar Allan Poe, the creator of the ratiocinative story and the amateur sleuth and leading contributor to the gothic genre, is the greatest author of the mid-nineteenth century.
In “The Black Cat” and “The Cask of Amontillado” poe uses common writing ideas and themes to portray his dark and mysterious short stories and poems to his advantage of writing to make you want to read more. With two completely differently plotted stories somehow come together at the end for similar outcome and final thoughts.
Edgar Allan Poe’s influence on American literature was nothing short of great; not only was he the creator of the detective story and the horror thriller, but he also influenced many great writers, among those William Faulkner and Fyodor Dostoevsky. While Poe is best known for his horror thrillers, being the creator of that particular genre, he has also fashioned two other literary genres, like the detective and the science fiction genre. Throughout his life, Poe read, reviewed, and critiqued many books for various magazines and papers. Poe did not hesitate to attack what he deemed inferior. “Is purely too imbecile to merit an extended critique,” he once wrote of a novel. Because of his readiness to attack what he believed to be unworthy,
“The Tell Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe is a fantastic short story, but how does it fit into literature? The story uses elements and techniques that delve into the gothic genre and allows the reader to be introduced to a darker reality. In “The Tell Tale Heart”, gothic elements reveal themselves in the short story through the use of setting and also through the use of characterization. These two elements are key components which demonstrate gothic features and help to classify this story as gothic literature. Murder and the supernatural elements also show that this text can be considered within the gothic genre of literature.
Edgar Allan Poe, renowned as the foremost master of the short-story form of writing, chiefly tales of the mysterious and macabre, has established his short stories as leading proponents of “Gothic” literature. Although the term “Gothic” originally referred only to literature set in the Gothic (or medieval) period, its meaning has since been extended to include a particular style of writing. In order for literature to be “Gothic,” it must fulfill some specific requirements. Firstly, it must set a tone that is dark, somber, and foreboding. Next, throughout the development of the story, the events that occur must be strange, melodramatic, or often sinister. Poe’s short stories are
Prominent features of gothic fiction include terror (both physical and psychological), mystery, the supernatural, haunted houses, castles, darkness, death, decay, madness, secrets and hereditary curses. Poe reached many of these features in his stories such as “The tell-tale heart”, “The raven”, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, “Annabelle Lee” and so much more. Normally, Poe does not present evil in the form of an
When the name Edgar Allen Poe is mentioned the thoughts of horror, shock, and terror come to the common readers mind. Some though, think more powerful words such as revolutionary, intellectual, or gothic. Poe’s works such as Pit And The Pendulum, The Tell-Tale Heart, Hop-Frog, and The Fall of the House of Usher are considered to be staple works of the 19th century gothic genre. Elements of gothic writing include the number seven, madness, and ironic twists.
There is one known very influential writing style called Gothic Literature. It is not only considered to involve the horror or gothic element but is combined with romance, superstition, women in distress, omens, portents, vision and supernatural events to name a few (Beesly). The history and beginning of this era is not well known. From a few writers came this writing style that has impacted the world. A famous artists known for this type of writing is a man named Edgar Allan Poe. He wrote many short stories and poems that include horror, gothic, and romance just mentioned.
Poe’s writing style was much like that of Hawthorne’s, but drew from the darker side of romance creations. This gothic mood believed in the dark truths of the human heart, which are the ends and motivations for many of his stories. Human corruption and violence ends in murder in “The Black Cat”. Gothic writings move more into the supernatural side, which lets observer of the see a living person in the picture at his first, sleepy glance.