This paper aims to examine the characterizational shift of C.Auguste Dupin in Edgar Allan Poe’s detective stories.First,Poe’s detective stories were written when the Enlightenment,which emphasizes Reason,was being e...This paper aims to examine the characterizational shift of C.Auguste Dupin in Edgar Allan Poe’s detective stories.First,Poe’s detective stories were written when the Enlightenment,which emphasizes Reason,was being embedded in the fabric of American culture.Meanwhile,beneath the Enlightenment was also an undercurrent of irrationality.In Poe’s“The Murders in the Rue Morgue”and“The Mystery of Marie Rogêt,”Dupin typifies a flat character standing for Reason/Good.However,in Poe’s“The Purloined Letter,”Dupin has been depicted as a round character;not only is he characterized a lot more vividly but also he bears striking resemblance to his opponent,Minister D.Namely,the dichotomous relationship between them has been erased,and Dupin has been portrayed more like a real person walking on the thin line between Good and Evil.Speaking of dissecting this characterizational shift of Dupin,I believe the key lies in the fact that Poe actually has taken an attitude of openness about Reason and Unreason,and that he has a way with opposing elements.In“The Murders in the Rue Morgue”and“The Mystery of Marie Rogêt,”Poe intends for Reason,represented by Dupin,to keep under control Unreason,represented by the criminals.In such a case,Dupin only needs to be a flat character representing Good/Reason.But in“The Purloined Letter,”Poe intends for Reason/Good and Unreason/Evil to be merged.Under such circumstances,Dupin will conveniently evolve into a round character.展开更多
John Edgar wideman's "Fever" is a multiple-voiced text, narrating experiences of the blacks during the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia in 1793. The "fever" is essentially a metaphor of ra...John Edgar wideman's "Fever" is a multiple-voiced text, narrating experiences of the blacks during the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia in 1793. The "fever" is essentially a metaphor of racism and endangered human existence. This paper attempts to uncover what lies beneath the "fever" via disentangling the text's narrative strategies and to foreground Wideman's concern on his people.展开更多
Despite of only producing five ratiocinative tales in the whole life,Edgar Allan Poe is acknowledged as the "father of the detective story".In those tales,Poe portrays the hero Dupin who is the first detecti...Despite of only producing five ratiocinative tales in the whole life,Edgar Allan Poe is acknowledged as the "father of the detective story".In those tales,Poe portrays the hero Dupin who is the first detective image in the history of the western literature vividly.Based on the stories in which Dupin appeared,concerns on the creation of Dupin,the analysis of his features and the function of the setting fellows,like friend and police,summarizing the traditional image pattern of detective stories created by Poe,revealing the great influence Poe had on the development of detective literature,even on the literature of the whole world.展开更多
文摘This paper aims to examine the characterizational shift of C.Auguste Dupin in Edgar Allan Poe’s detective stories.First,Poe’s detective stories were written when the Enlightenment,which emphasizes Reason,was being embedded in the fabric of American culture.Meanwhile,beneath the Enlightenment was also an undercurrent of irrationality.In Poe’s“The Murders in the Rue Morgue”and“The Mystery of Marie Rogêt,”Dupin typifies a flat character standing for Reason/Good.However,in Poe’s“The Purloined Letter,”Dupin has been depicted as a round character;not only is he characterized a lot more vividly but also he bears striking resemblance to his opponent,Minister D.Namely,the dichotomous relationship between them has been erased,and Dupin has been portrayed more like a real person walking on the thin line between Good and Evil.Speaking of dissecting this characterizational shift of Dupin,I believe the key lies in the fact that Poe actually has taken an attitude of openness about Reason and Unreason,and that he has a way with opposing elements.In“The Murders in the Rue Morgue”and“The Mystery of Marie Rogêt,”Poe intends for Reason,represented by Dupin,to keep under control Unreason,represented by the criminals.In such a case,Dupin only needs to be a flat character representing Good/Reason.But in“The Purloined Letter,”Poe intends for Reason/Good and Unreason/Evil to be merged.Under such circumstances,Dupin will conveniently evolve into a round character.
文摘John Edgar wideman's "Fever" is a multiple-voiced text, narrating experiences of the blacks during the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia in 1793. The "fever" is essentially a metaphor of racism and endangered human existence. This paper attempts to uncover what lies beneath the "fever" via disentangling the text's narrative strategies and to foreground Wideman's concern on his people.
文摘Despite of only producing five ratiocinative tales in the whole life,Edgar Allan Poe is acknowledged as the "father of the detective story".In those tales,Poe portrays the hero Dupin who is the first detective image in the history of the western literature vividly.Based on the stories in which Dupin appeared,concerns on the creation of Dupin,the analysis of his features and the function of the setting fellows,like friend and police,summarizing the traditional image pattern of detective stories created by Poe,revealing the great influence Poe had on the development of detective literature,even on the literature of the whole world.
