The Characteristics Poe's Short Stories

Topic: The Characteristics of Poe's Short Stories

Name: Baraiya Sonal Rameshbhai

Class: M.A. Sem-3

Paper No.: 10-The American Literature

Submitted to: Smt. S.B.Gardi, Mkbu,

                          Department of English.

To evaluate my assignment, click here

Introduction:

Edgar Allan Poe:

Born – January 19, 1809

Died – October 7, 1849

He was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre. He is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction. He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career. He was born as Edger Poe in Boston, Massachusetts; he was orphaned young when his mother died shortly after his father abandoned the family. Poe was taken in by John and Frances Allan, of Richmond, Virginia, but they never formally adopted him. He attended the University of Virginia for one semester but left due to lack of money. After enlisting in the Army and later failing as an officer’s cadet at West Point, Poe parted ways with the Allan’s. His Publishing career began humbly, with an anonymous collection of poems, Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827), credited only ‘‘to a Bostonian’’.

Short Story:

A Short Story is a short piece of fiction aiming at unity of characterization, theme and effect but significantly shorter and less elaborate than a novel.

Major characteristics:

1.  Length:

Short Stories typically range from 1600 to 20000 words. It is decided by authors and critics. Majority believe in 1600 to 20000 words. Even Poe suggested that a short story should take 30 minutes to two hours to read. We are able to read it in one sitting. Due to invention of television and radio for entertainment, these are based on long time. But the thing is that the idea of one sitting rule is still a good one. That’s why Chetan Bhagat still has popularity in people. Poe’s all short story are in these range.

 For example:

2.   Subject:

Short Stories focus on a single subject or theme. Poe also believes that single subject or theme is better to make story effective. If story have multiple subjects then it is complex for reader to understand easily. 

For example –

 Poe’s every short story deals with subjects like love and hate; the rivalry between self and alter ego; the personification of memory after death.

1)    Love and Hate:

Poe highly influence by Freud Psychology. Freud believes that these two emotions are universal emotions. These two emotions are interwoven. It cannot be separated. Poe described the psychological complexity of these two emotions in many stories such as:

1.       The Tell-Tale Heart

2.       The Cask of Amontillado

3.       William Wilson

These two emotions lead towards the gothic terror. For example – In ‘‘The Tell –tale Heart’’, narrator love old man and also hate him because of his artificial eye. So, eye became the villain of their friendship. Narrator’s love changed into hate when he seemed Old man’s eye. There was also one reason which is interpreted by critics that there was master – salve relationship between both of them. It is also one reason which was leads narrator to kill his master.

In ‘‘The Cask of Amontillado’’, narrator is Montresor and Fortunato is his friend. They love each other. But Montresor’s love changed into hate because of his friend’s madness. And he killed his friend. Here we also find out master – salve mentality. Fortunato is the master of Montresor. And because of his position, he frequently insulted his friend. We came to know this thing through the dialogue of Montresor that

       ‘‘I have thousands injury and insult’’.

In short they all are mentally disturbed and this disturbance leads them towards gothic terror.

2)    Self vs. Alter Ego:

Freud gave the three levels of individual viz,

1.       Id

2.       Ego

3.       Super Ego

Poe’s every characters have internal conflict which is leads towards them into unexpected decision. They are not able to control their mind. Ego is not able to control their id. That’s why they driven from two opposite personality. Even they also don’t know about the two personalities. But when ego is suppressed by super ego and id, second personality automatically came. That time they cannot judge that what is right or wrong. The same problem we find out with young man in ‘‘The Tell-Tale Heart’’ and Montresor in ‘‘The Cask of Amontillado’’. Both characters killed them whom they love much. Super ego felt them about their guilt. And their guilt conscious leads toward there where they felt what they done wrong. At the end they confesses and redemption about wrong thing that they done.

3)    The Power of the Dead over the Living:

Poe’s every characters conscious about their guilt through the memory. These memories of the dead one force them in the physical world. For example – A young man who felt the throbbing of Old man’s heart though his was dead. Because of these the living cannot feel free. They always surrounded with these voice. So, we can say that the power of the dead over the living.

3) Limited number of Characters:

Because of the limitations of the genre, short stories typically focus on just one or a couple characters. Due to the short period of time writer cannot gave justice to individual. Characters cannot develop in actual way. That’s why if they kept one or two it is better for their stories.

For example-

‘‘The Fall of the House of Usher’’

1. Roderick Usher

2. Madeline Usher

3. Unnamed narrator

‘‘The Tell-Tale Heart’’

1. Unnamed narrator

2. Old man

‘‘The Purloined Letter’’

1. C. Auguste Dupin

2. Unnamed narrator

3. Monsieur G

4. Minister D

‘‘The Cask of Amontillado’’

1. Montresor

2. Fortunato

So, as we seemed that in the all the short stories there were very limited characters shown by Poe. And every character has some limitations and problems. And these problems lead them in tragic fall.

4)   Strive for unity of effect:

Poe believed the aim of the short story was to create a mood, an effect on readers mind. Stories are strong enough to catch the reader’s attention at the beginning to the end. Poe is very careful about these things. He creates an effect of horror or terror. Readers are in tension about the next step. Poe is famous even today because of this reason that he was able to create the effect on reader’s mind.  He creates the effect at the beginning.

For example-

The Tell-Tale Heart

TRUE! –nervous – very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses – not destroyed – not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily – how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

 So, the words like nervous, dread, mad, disease, destroyed, dull, all the words indicates something wrong going on.

Conclusion:

      In short, Poe is even today remembered by the use of gothic elements. He gave highly influence on other gothic writers. His each and every short story came with new and effective terror, fear and ghostly elements. Most of the Poe’s characters read in psychological way. He is the feather on the hat of American literature.

.