The Murders in the Rue Morgue – a Story with Many Firsts Essay Example

The reader is compelled to believe that Dupin possesses an extraordinary power of penetration, the way he grounds his manner to decisions. He is similar to Sherlock Holmes in this regard. Holmes is famous for his rationalizations and conclusions, as well as his eclectic lifestyle and peculiar habits, just like Dupin is.

It is claimed that Sir Arthur Canon Doyle was actually inspired by Poe. His character Sherlock Holmes is said to be based on Poe's investigator C. Auguste Dupin (Mansfield-Kelly. Marchino.

Dupin, in contrast to Holmes, is not a professional detective but rather an amateur one. He chooses to delve into the Rue Morgue murders out of personal fascination rather than for financial gain, prompted by reading about it in the newspaper. He firmly believes that he possesses greater abilities than the police force and can unravel the crime before them. Employing his analytical prowess, he deduces the solution, which is ultimately unveiled as the story concludes.

He is very observant, carefully examining every detail of the house both indoors and outdoors. After analyzing the Windows in the bedroom, Dupin concluded that the culprit must have fled through either of these Windows. Upon closer examination, he discovered that they were nailed shut. However, one window had an actual nail in it, making it impossible to be used as an escape route. The other window, on the contrary, was manipulated to appear as though it was nailed shut but could actually be opened using a spring mechanism. When closed again, the spring would catch and make it seem like the window was also nailed shut.

Dupin concludes that the murderer is an orangutan due to their fascination with literature

and books. Dupin is familiar with Baron Georges Cuvier's description of the Pongo pygmaeus, which depicts the creature and its strength. By recognizing these characteristics, Dupin is able to compare the devastation of the two bodies with the "wild ferocity" (76) of the animal. However, this is only a hypothesis on Dupin's part until he places an advertisement in a newspaper, inviting the owner of an orangutan to come and claim their animal. As he suspected, a sailor comes forward to claim it.

The crewman grudgingly agrees with Dupin's observations, confirming that the Pongo pygmaeus committed heinous offenses due to fear of its master's whip. Poe also includes a touch of grotesque. This story could be considered the first detective narrative with elements of gore. Numerous instances in the story are vividly descriptive and horrifying.

Poe's depiction of the bodies of the murdered is similar to the scenes in CSI, especially during that specific time period. One example is when he describes Madame L'Espanaye's body, stating that her throat was completely cut.

During her attempt to escape, the head of the woman was severed. This incident is described by Poe, who also provides a detailed account of her throat being cut in "The Longman Anthology of Detective Fiction" on page 80.

"In this story, a great display of violence is depicted as the murderer forcefully separates the victim's head from her body. Additionally, Dupin describes to the narrator the hair found on the fireplace, emphasizing the horrific sight of its roots being covered in flesh fragments. This indicates the tremendous force exerted to uproot possibly hundreds of thousands of hairs at once. While these descriptions might not be considered

gory by today's standards, they would certainly have had the potential to shock and disturb readers in 1841."

While others interpret this narrative to include themes of bondage, my analysis may be simpler. I believe it is primarily about enigma and logical thinking.

Although I do not necessarily believe that Poe intended this story as a rebellion against slavery, Edward Higgins White wrote a critical essay discussing this theme. According to him, the true crime in this narrative is about slavery, with the Pongo pygmaeus symbolizing it. He suggests that the symbolism is mainly present in the last section of the story, where the parallels to race and slavery are most significant.

The story contains a significant amount of language associated with slavery, including terms like "escaped," "master," "dreaded whip," "fugitive," and the creature known as the "Ourang-Outang." These elements strongly suggest that the narrative centers around the theme of bondage.

Both the author and I share concerns about how slaves and their opposition are depicted in Poe's story. Although I don't fully disagree with his intentions, I remain unconvinced that Poe intended to communicate that specific message. White also raises the question of why Poe opts to hide the character of the slave Rebel, a query that resonates with me too.

Although I think the author is overanalyzing the narrative and attributing meaning that doesn't truly exist, I do agree with certain points made in his essay. It is important to mention that White also mentions the "Chantilly" passage.

On the way back, during a silent fifteen-minute walk, the investigator and his comrade engage in a discussion about Dupin's explanation of their friend's thoughts. Dupin highlights that the

Chantilly sequence primarily showcases how ignorant the narrator is about his own thinking and the connections made in his imagination. This revelation indicates that Dupin's main focus may not be solely on the crime.

However, the process of assessing the wrongdoing, which validates my conviction that the narrative pertains to drawing a deduction and unraveling an enigma, is attributed to Edgar Allan Poe, the progenitor of American detective literature.

He had no idea that he would be setting a trend for all of literary fiction at the time. "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" established the basics of the detective narrative technique still used today and set a precedent for future detective fiction. Poe was the first to create the locked room mystery and write descriptions that could be seen as gruesome. His distinctive writing style and characters engage readers and inspire other writers to imitate his method. Without Dupin, Sherlock Holmes may not exist, and detective fiction might not have evolved into its current form.