Contribution of Edgar Allen Poe to Detective Fiction - Essay Example

Contribution of Edgar Allen Poe to Detective Fiction Human nature is the combination of good and evil. When we resort to evil to appease our instincts and do such things as are prohibited by our society, we become trapped into the web of evil that tempts us to commit some crimes. Sometimes these evil designs make the culprit commit some heinous crimes such as murder. Such instances of abnormal behavior are the popular subject of story writers who try to explore the sources of evil in the inner recesses of human mind. Furthermore, the element of mystery attached to these acts and the intelligence and immaculate reasoning of the person who solves these entangled mysteries also intrigue readers to take interest in such type of stories. The detective story genre deals with this dark side of human nature and tells how wise men unearth these mysteries and hidden crimes through their genius. The instances of detective fiction can be found in many languages and a claim about the true origin can be very difficult. But there seems to be consensus on the issue that Edgar Allen Poe through his “tales of ratiocination” initiated a new genre in the form of detective fiction and also contributed to the development of type of fiction by providing models for plot, setting and characterization. The later writers followed the lines set by Edgar Allen Poe and took this form to its perfection. Before going into the details of Poe’s contribution to this specific genre, it would be pertinent to define the nature and basic features/elements of a detective story. A detective story deals with a mystery about some act of murder or crime which is investigated by an intelligent detective who with the help of some clues and hints open the entangled knots of mystery. Such type of stories contain certain basic elements without which the story cannot be written. It was through his detective stories of Dupin, Poe set the following three primary parameters for a detective story: Three Basic Elements of a Piece of Detective Fiction Defective fiction involves three basic elements which are present in almost every instance of this genre. These are: 1. Detective 2. Mystery or suspense 3. Investigation These elements were, for the first time, combined into the stories of Edgar Allen Poe.Edgar Allen Poe was originally a gothic writer who dealt with the themes of horror and terror concerning the dark side of human nature. In his story “The Cask of Amontillado,” Poe presents a vindictive person who in order to take revenge, traps his friend and takes him to some mysterious horrible setting where he sets up a wall of bones around his friend and forces him to die of a choking death. The environment of suspense and mystery depicted in such stories was seemingly providing a ground for detective stories which culminated in Poe’s tales of ratiocination. Poe As Detective Story Writer Rachman states that Poe’s “tales of ratiocination” qualify as the first instances of detective fiction. These include “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” “The Mystery of Marie Roget” and “The Purloined Letter.” These were written “in the early mid 1840s” (17). In these stories Poe presented Auguste Dupin who had the power of solving mysteries. That man became a prototype for detective stories. Dilating upon the features of a detective story, Rachman observes: Even readers will recognize many of the features of the detective genre in its classic or analytic form: the metropolitan setting, the violent crime scene in an apparently locked room, the vain, befuddled law enforcement official, the wronged suspect, the confession, the cleverly convoluted solution. Through these stories Poe had given the form its initial shape, created its first great detective (17). Arthur Canon Doyle, the famous creator of the character of Sherlock Holmes, owes much to Poe and acknowledges this debt: “If every man who received a cheque for a story which owed its springs to Poe were to pay tithe to a monument for the master, for he would have a pyramid as big as that of Chepos” (Panek 80). Hence, the credit of being pioneer in this field goes to Edgar Allen Poe. Poe As Pioneer There seems to be a consensus of literary historians that the detective story originated from Edgar Allen Poe and the very first instance of the genre was “The Murders in the Morgue.” The credit of creation of the genre goes to Poe who also wrote other stories which presented model characters and forms of plot. Poe provided enough to his successor to write good detective stories. All the technical features were presented by him through his stories. He also introduced characters essential for this genre, plot and the setting which enhanced the popularity of this literary type among the public. In the following lines we will trace how Poe has contributed to different aspects of detective fiction. As we know that action in any fiction depends upon agents who are labled as characters. Poe created archetypal agents or characters for the detective story. Characterization Poe introduced some stock characters in his short stories, which became the conventional characters of the short stories. The protagonist in the detective short stories is an intelligent (mostly) private detective who works with the help of an assistant. These two characters unearth the mysteries behind the crime. The role of a detective is primary and it is he that has got some brains. The role of an assistant is that of a supporting character, but he is the person who is always with our detective and lends him a hand and always remains attached to the protagonist. Both characters “invariably work outside official channels, solving crimes and mysteries that police detectives and inspectors are unable to solve. In inventing this scenario, Poe created convention for the detective genre which other famous crime writers have followed almost exactly” (Douglas 7). Arthur Canon Doyle’s famous duo of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson seems to have been patterned on Poe’s models. Similarly, Agatha Christie incorporates Hercule Poirot to help inspector Japp. For an intelligent reader, it will not be difficult to find similarities between Christie and Poe’s characters. Poe’s Contribution in Devising Setting for a Detective Story The characters work in a particular setting which comprise time and place and mood and atmosphere of the story. Every detective story presents a particular setting where the whole action takes place. Through his model detective story, Poe gives us a model setting. The action of his “The Purloined Letter” and “The Murder in Rue Morgu” presents two possible settings for a detective story: Either it is a locked room in a crowded area of the city or it is an abandoned house, room or villa in some isolated area of the city where the detective finds many clues which take him to his ultimate target. “How often this combination of the isolated place and the bustling world outside is repeated in the classical detective story: the locked room in the midst of the city, the isolated villa in the suburban town. Mystery after mystery takes us back and forth between detective’s apartment or office and the isolated room full of clues” (Cawelti 97). Setting is closely connected with the clues and suspects that lead the detective to the ultimate solution of the problem. The setting also creates a special kind of suspense that is associated with abandoned places. The archetypal setting still exists in the modern detective stories. Apart from a specific setting and particular characters, a detective story follows a typical patter or sequence of events which leads the protagonist to the solution. In this connection, the successors of Poe are indebted to him as he has provided them a set pattern of sequence of the story to his successors. By following the same line of action, the followers of Poe have manipulated the main stages of a detective fiction. Poe and Pattern of a Detective Story Poe declares murder as the major motif in a detective story. Murder as the popular subject of the detective stories is still in vogue. Most of the detective stories of the day deal with the murder theme. In Poe’s opinion, a detective story centers around a detective’s investigative ability to bring about the solution of a crime. The two of his ratiocination tales "Rue Morgue" and "The Purloined Letter" show the main stages which formulate the basic pattern of a detective story. They include: (a) introduction of the detective (b) crime and clues (c) investigation (d) announcement of the solution (e) explanation of the solution (f) denouement (Cawelti 82). The order of presenting these elements in the plot or action of the story varies from story to story and is left to the personal whim of the writer. In this way Poe sets a clear pattern for his successors. This pattern was adopted by all other detective story writers with few amendments. Conclusion To sum up, we can assert that the credit of initiating the genre of detective story goes to Edgar Allen Poe. Though his specific domain is a gothic story which includes elements of mystery and horror and depicts the different facets of human evil nature, through his characterization, storyline, and different situations and settings in his ratiocination tales he has set the norm of detective stories, which was further adopted and followed by famous writers of detective fiction such as Arthur Canon Doyle and Agatha Christie. He was the first writer who gave the English speaking reader public the taste of mystery stories in the form of detective stories. Works Cited Cawelti, John G. Adventure, Mystery, and Romance: Formula Stories As Art and Popular Culture. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1976. Print. Douglas, William, and Edgar A. Poe. Edgar Allen Poes Great Short Works. Elsternwick, Vic: Insight Publications, 2007. Print. Panek, LeRoy. An Introduction to the Detective Story. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1987. Print. Rachman, Stephen. “Poe and the Origins of detective fiction.” The Cambridge Companion to American Crime Fiction. Ed. Catherine R. Nickerson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. 17-28. Print. Read More