Miscellaneous Monday—Number Thirty-six

IT'S time to check in again with academia to see what they've generated about detective/crime fiction. Last time it involved Henry James.

Since we've spent considerable time dealing with the inventor of the modern 

detective story and hold magazine illustrators in high regard as well, we were 

pleased when we came across . . .

"Illustrating Poe's Detection."

By John Gruesser, Sam Houston State University.

Essay (31 pages; 23 illos).

First appearance: Edgar Allan Poe Review, 2021.

Available at Academia.edu (HERE).

(WARNING! There are SPOILERS here for "The Gold-Bug" and "The Murders in the Rue Morgue.")

THE author is an expert on 19th-century literature and culture, Poe in particular, and can be regarded as authoritative.

Abstract:

  It is not surprising that the texts of Edgar Allan Poe, that most visual of literary artists, have inspired so many images and that such a wide array of illustrators has taken on the challenges of rendering his highly imaginative scenes on paper. With a map to decipher, a treasure chest to locate, bags of gold to haul away, and a Black servant to serve as (often racist) comic relief, "The Gold-Bug" (1843) has provided artists with a plethora of subjects, making it Poe's most frequently illustrated text. Although "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1841), regarded as the first modern detective story, does not offer such a range of options, illustrators have nevertheless emphasized its various aspects. Many of them have chosen not to portray the protagonist C. Auguste Dupin at all, while others have come up with creative ways to represent his mental powers and/or to associate him with vigorous action. No doubt Poe, with his detailed knowledge of and strong opinions about illustrations, would have approved of such inventiveness.

A few excerpts:

  ~ ". . . artists had depicted 'The Gold-Bug,' originally published in 1843, more often than any of the author’s other texts—over three hundred times, outpacing by at least fifty the number for each of those with the next highest totals ('The Murders in the Rue Morgue,' 'The Fall of the House of Usher,' and 'The Raven')."

  ~ "In contrast, C. Auguste Dupin performs no obviously decisive action in solving the case in 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue,' published two years earlier and regarded as the first modern detective story. Thus, the tale’s emphasis on the analytical prowess of the protagonist has posed a challenge to artists. In response, illustrators of the first installment of Poe’s Dupin trilogy have often (1) chosen to eliminate the detective by portraying the ape’s attack on the two women (often thereby spoiling the mystery); (2) depicted other characters (e.g., the denizens of the Rue Morgue or the sailor); or (3) striven to make Dupin appear dynamic by connecting him with some form of movement."

  ~ "The story’s ['The Gold Bug'] unique combination of elements—namely detection, suspense, buried treasure, pirates, and racial humor/caricature—accounts for the large number of illustrations it has inspired."

  ~ "The limited physical activity of Dupin in 'Murders,' which diminishes to almost nothing in 'The Mystery of Marie Rogêt,' wherein he becomes an arm-chair detective, but increases significantly in 'The Purloined Letter' (when he makes two visits to the residence of the master criminal, the Minister D———, lures him to the window with a ruse, and exchanges the queen’s letter for a counterfeit), has tested the ingenuity of artists."

Resources:

- It's interesting that when Scholastic had Groff Conklin edit Ten Great Mysteries by Edgar Allan Poe (1989; online at The Luminist Archives HERE), "The Gold-Bug" was not included.

 - Just a few ONTOS postings about EAP: (HERE), (HERE), (HERE), (HERE), HERE), (HERE), and (HERE).

Unless otherwise noted, all bibliographical data are derived from The FictionMags Index created by William G. Contento & edited by Phil Stephensen-Payne.

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