Edgar Allan Poe: Tales of Mystery and Imagination
The Gold Bug
William Legrand, after suffering financial difficulties, moved to Sullivan’s Island. He dedicated his time to hunting and fishing, often venturing out with his African-American servant, Jupiter.
The unnamed narrator of the story befriended Legrand. One afternoon, he visited Legrand and learned about the discovery of a gold bug. The narrator had no reference for this bug (except for a drawing) because Legrand had given it to a lieutenant. That afternoon, the two friends had some misunderstandings, so the narrator said goodbye and went home.
A month later, the narrator received a visit from Jupiter, who delivered a letter written by his master. The narrator read the letter and learned that Legrand wanted to see him. They immediately set off together.
Legrand received him courteously and told him to accompany him on an expedition through the hills. The narrator initially declined but later accepted, and so Legrand, Jupiter, the narrator, and the dog set off. When they reached a leafy tree, Legrand ordered Jupiter to climb it with the gold bug attached to a string. Jupiter resolutely climbed up and reached a skull. Legrand told him to pass the gold bug through the left eye socket of the skull, and Jupiter did so. The bug descended to the ground.
Legrand marked the spot where the bug had fallen, took some measurements, and they began digging in search of something, but without success. Legrand became irritated with Jupiter because he had made a mistake in determining the left eye of the skull, and they started another excavation, finding the coveted chest after a few hours.
Then, Legrand confessed to the narrator how he had come to know about the treasure’s presence. He said he had found the gold bug with a parchment. The parchment contained a cryptogram that Legrand had deciphered, and it had belonged to a pirate who had buried his precious treasure.
Legrand becomes obsessed with finding treasure after being bitten by a scarab-like bug, thought to be made of pure gold. He summons his close friend, the narrator, to his home on Sullivan’s Island. Upon arrival, the narrator learns they are embarking on a treasure hunt with Jupiter, Legrand’s servant. The narrator doubts Legrand’s sanity due to his recent financial losses.
Legrand, having lent the bug, draws a picture of it, which the narrator likens to a skull. Offended, Legrand examines the drawing before locking it away, confusing the narrator. Unsettled, the narrator returns home to Charleston.
A month later, Jupiter visits the narrator, urging him to return to Sullivan’s Island on Legrand’s behalf. He describes Legrand’s strange behavior. Upon returning, the narrator is told they must embark on an expedition with the gold bug tied to a string. Deep in the wilderness, they find a tree, which Jupiter climbs with the bug. He finds a skull, and Legrand instructs him to drop the bug through an eye socket. From its landing spot, Legrand determines where to dig. They unearth treasure buried by Captain Kidd, estimated at $1.5 million. Legrand then explains how he deduced the treasure’s location using events following the bug’s discovery.
The story involves cryptography, detailing a method for solving a simple substitution cipher using letter frequencies.
Decoded Message: A good glass in the bishop’s hostel in the devil’s seat twenty-one degrees and thirteen minutes northeast and by north main branch seventh limb east side shoot from the left eye of the death’s-head a bee line from the tree through the shot fifty feet out.
Characters
Narrator
A friend of Legrand who accompanies him and Jupiter on the treasure hunt despite suspecting his friend’s sanity.
Legrand
An intelligent but misanthropic man seemingly driven mad by a gold bug bite, but actually on the trail of pirate treasure. He uses his puzzle-solving skills to decipher secrets on a parchment.
Jupiter
Legrand’s loyal, patois-speaking manservant, prone to exaggeration and worry.
The Fall of the House of Usher
Summary
On a gloomy day, an unnamed narrator arrives at the Usher mansion, the home of his boyhood friend, Roderick Usher. The house exudes a mysterious and eerie atmosphere, seemingly absorbing the decay of the surrounding landscape. Despite some decay, the house’s structure remains solid, with only a small crack in the front. The narrator’s visit is prompted by a letter from Roderick, expressing physical and emotional distress.
The Usher family, an ancient clan, has a history of single descendants, leading to their identification with their estate. Inside, the house is equally unsettling. Roderick appears pale and weak, suffering from heightened senses and a fear of his own home. His sister, Madeline, suffers from a cataleptic-like illness.
The narrator attempts to cheer Roderick, listening to his music and reading stories, but to no avail. Roderick believes the house itself is unhealthy. Madeline dies, and Roderick decides to temporarily bury her in the house’s tombs, fearing doctors might exhume her body. The narrator assists, noticing Madeline’s rosy cheeks and realizing they were twins.
Roderick becomes increasingly agitated. One sleepless night, he shows the narrator a strange gas surrounding the house, which the narrator dismisses as a natural phenomenon. He reads to Roderick, but hears noises mirroring the story. The sounds intensify, and Roderick reveals he’s been hearing them, believing Madeline was buried alive. Madeline, bloodied, appears, attacks Roderick, and both die. The narrator flees as the house collapses.
Characters
Roderick Usher
The mansion’s owner and the last male Usher, a doppelganger for his twin sister, Madeline. He represents the mind to her body, suffering mentally while she suffers physically.
Madeline Usher
Roderick’s twin sister, afflicted with catalepsy. Her twin status highlights the narrator’s outsider position.
Unnamed Narrator
Roderick’s childhood friend, unfamiliar with the Usher house, and the first outsider to visit in years.
The Whirlpool
This story recounts a terrifying near-death experience of an old Norwegian fisherman. Observing the powerful Maelström whirlpool, he tells how he and his brother were once pulled in. He survived by observing how objects were sucked down, but his brother, paralyzed by fear, perished. The experience transformed him into a white-haired old man.
Summary
Fishermen in the Lofotens thrived due to the mild climate created by the Gulf Stream. Strong tides and whirlpools were unique phenomena. One day, a man and his two sons went fishing in their small boat, venturing into a narrow, dangerous gap between two islands, hoping for a large catch. They knew to avoid the whirlpool by timing their passage with the changing currents.
Confident, they sailed out, but a sudden storm trapped them. A massive whirlpool formed, and their boat was drawn in. The father and one son were pulled under, but the other son, tied to a rope, survived, washed ashore as a white-haired old man, forever changed by the ordeal.
The Murders in the Rue Morgue
Characters
C. Auguste Dupin
A Parisian crime solver who unravels the murders of two women, using psychological analysis and intuition to deduce an Ourang-Outang was responsible.
Madame L’Espanaye
The elder murder victim, brutally beaten and thrown from her apartment window.
Mademoiselle Camille
Madame L’Espanaye’s daughter, choked to death and stuffed into the chimney.
Adolphe Le Bon
A bank clerk initially suspected of the murders.
Unnamed Narrator
Dupin’s friend and housemate, chronicling the events.
Sailor
The Ourang-Outang’s owner, a witness to the murders, unable to intervene.
Summary
The narrator discusses the analytic mind, driven by intuition and a desire to solve puzzles. He describes meeting C. Auguste Dupin in a library and becoming friends. Dupin demonstrates his analytical skills by deducing the narrator’s thoughts about an actor.
They read about the murders of Madame L’Espanaye and Mademoiselle Camille. Neighbors heard screams and two voices. The apartment was in disarray, with signs of a struggle. Camille was found in the chimney, and Madame L’Espanaye’s body was in the courtyard. Robbery was ruled out. Witnesses described two voices: one French, the other of uncertain origin.
The police arrest Adolphe Le Bon. Dupin investigates, noting the seemingly impossible escape route. He points out overlooked details, like the type of hair found and the window mechanism. He deduces the murderer’s superhuman strength and agility, suggesting an Ourang-Outang.
Dupin advertises for the animal’s capture. A sailor arrives, confessing his Ourang-Outang escaped and committed the murders. Le Bon is released, and the prefect is chagrined by Dupin’s brilliance.