Colleen

Essay #1 – Revised Again “The Murders of the Rue Morgue” 6-14-10 Edgar Allan Poe has been noted for his creative and brilliant detective mystery writing. Literary enthusiasts believe that his story “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” is the original detective story. The story has the elements of a detective mystery, leaving the reader wondering “whodunit,” but overall falls short of my expectations compared to other detective mysteries. Poe’s story includes an introduction that is wordy and boring, descriptions of the murders that are too gory, and a detective that is pompous and arrogant. First, the introduction leading up to the actual story of the murders is long winded and confusing for the reader. The opening narrative about analyzing is bewildering and forgettable. The story then introduces the main character, the detective, Dupin, which then leads to the mind reading section. This section seemed to be the most pointless of all; Dupin and his friend are walking, and Dupin just blurts out who the companion is thinking of and acts nonchalant about the occurrence as though the friend should not be surprised he already knew. The dialogue is bland: The friend begins to speak about a person and pauses waiting to see if Dupin knows who he is thinking about. “Here I paused, to ascertain beyond a doubt whether he really knew whom I thought.'of Chantilly,’ said he, ‘why do you pause’” (6). This leads into a long drawn out description of how Dupin figured out his companion’s thoughts, most of which does not seem connected to the rest of the story and again is forgettable to the reader. Second, we, as readers, are introduced to the gruesome murders that were committed in a locked-room. Dupin’s companion introduces the readers to the murders by reciting what he read in the evening paper. The descriptions of the gory murders are horrific and not easy for sensitive readers to handle. The first murder described is that of the daughter of Madame L’Espanaye and the daughter is described as being shoved up the chimney feet first. The body of Madame L’Espanaye is not found in the apartment, but rather outside and is the victim of a horrific murder: “‘The body, as well as the head, was fearfully mutilated – the former so much so as scarcely to retain any semblance of humanity’” (9). The woman’s head falls off when they move the body, which creates horrific images while the reader continues on through this tragedy wondering what could they uncover next. Other gory details include chunks of grey hair that still had the roots attached, and fingerprint marks on the victim’s neck. Poe paints an especially detailed picture for the murder, but sickens the reader as he/she proceeds through this story. Finally, the detective, Dupin, is pompous and arrogant. He is not fazed by the murders, but rather acts cold. While he is a brilliant detective in terms of observation and analysis, he comes across as rude and impersonal. His character seems to solve these mysteries for fun and gets pleasure and entertainment from them. Dupin solves this murder by figuring out that an orangutan committed the heinous crimes and in the end he informs the police of the complete details to the murders. The prefect's expression after Dupin informs them of the incident is described as: “This functionary, however well disposed to my friend, could not altogether conceal his chagrin at the turn which affairs had taken, and was fain to indulge in a sarcasm or two, about the propriety of every person minding his business” (29). This shows the consistent egotistical and pompous attitudes within the characters. These pompous attitudes create dislike in the characters from the reader's perspective. The expectations that I originally held about the story were unfortunately questioned after reading the story in its entirety. I was disappointed to learn that an animal committed the murders and felt tricked by the author. Edgar Allan Poe is a brilliant writer, but this story falls short of his other mysteries. His creation of a detective that is robotic rather than humanlike makes it hard for the reader to relate to Dupin. The gruesome murder and a beginning that is excessively wordy and perplexing to the reader generate a complex and horrific story for first time detective mystery readers. I would have enjoyed this story more if Poe created a character that the reader could relate to and understand instead of a pompous know-it-all. I think the gruesome acts committed by the animal were unrealistic and I feel that there are many other detective stories that stand up to my expectations, but "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" does not fit into that category.

Essay #3 Revised Hard-boiled vs. Classic Detection – 6-14-10 Detective mysteries are intriguing and raise curiosity in the reader. The two types of detective stories are hard-boiled and classic detection. They both include have strengths and weaknesses. Hard-boiled detection has more strengths including storylines that transpire at a fast pace with multiple plots, obtains vulgar language and sexuality while, classic detection sticks to the facts and logical reasoning of the mysteries.

Hard-boiled mysteries, such as __The Big Sleep__ and __The Maltese Falcon__, take place in a matter of five days. The fast-paced plot keeps the reader’s interest on every page. The multiple plots that occur in those five days add an extra element of interest to the unraveling of the story. Missing people, murders, and lost/stolen objects contribute to the chaotic story plot, in “The Maltese Falcon,” within the first four chapters. The detective, Spade, solves all of the above in the short time period without including the reader into his personal agenda which piques the reader’s interest more.

Classic detection does not develop and unfold in such a swift way as hard-boiled detection. Classic stories proceed at a slower pace and include an intricate detail which tends to be a weakness. The wordy and drawn out explanation of these details loses the reader’s interest and seem to be left out of hard-boiled stories for that reason. Sherlock Holmes mysteries tend to use deduction from the beginning to the end informing the reader of every thought and process of solving the case. Holmes has a professional and extensive vocabulary and does not leave out any detail, like in some hard-boiled stories.

The rich language of hard-boiled detection makes the reader aware of the different character types in the story. Language tends to define a person and can determine if he/she is educated or a thug. The story “The Big Sleep” has a character that can be defined just by his lack of vocabulary and use of crude language. Carol Lundgren is a character of few words and those words define him as a character that is angry and vulgar. Lundgren consistently repeats, “‘Go _ yourself’” (99). The reader can fill in the blank and instantly realize that this man is a thug with limited vocabulary. This phrase is so vulgar that the author does not even write the word, yet lets the reader fill it. Language like this is only found in hard-boiled detection which adds to the overall excitement and quality of these stories and does not make the reader feel less educated like some classic detection stories may.

The language used in classic detection is concise and makes the detective sound haughty while the reader may need a dictionary to follow along. Sherlock Holmes and Dupin use extensive vocabulary to depict the cases/mysteries and the steps taken to solve them. Vulgarity or offensive language is left out. The detectives in classic detection are defined by their language which differentiates them from hard-boiled detectives.

Sexuality in hard-boiled detection adds to the complication of the stories. The detectives get involved with women that seem to be the villain or end up dead. The novel __Devil in a Blue Dress__ has a scene that one would never find in classic detection. The character Easy helps his drunken friend back to his girlfriend’s apartment because he is too heavy for her to carry. The girlfriend of his friend, Coretta, then seduces Easy which leads into an explicit sexual scene. Coretta says, “‘Oh yeah, daddy, you hittin’ my spot! Oh yeah, yeah!’” (88) These lines do not add to the story and frankly I feel that they may be a bit too graphic for a detective mystery, but it does define certain characteristics of Easy. This scene is where the reader begins to question his morals. This type of scene would not appear in a classic detective mystery, which is another distinction between the two.

The strengths and weaknesses of both types of detection stories do not take away from the suspense or plot, but define the individual elements that make up classic and hard-boiled detection. I find that hard-boiled detection has many more strengths including the pace of the story, the excitement of the relationships, and the vulgar language which makes the stories seem more true to life. Classic detection stories are fabulous stories, but they tend to be wordy and drawn-out, which in the fast paced life of the present loses the attention of the reader.

__Essay #2 Revised Mars vs. Venus 6-14-10__ Detective mysteries include many common elements of suspense, action, and problem-solving. Differences are present in female authors versus their male counterparts. The female writers tend provide many more details, show emotional connections, and cast women in a different light beside the typical “victim” role.

Details in detective mysteries, whether written by male or female writers, are important to the plot and resolution of the story. Women writers tend to focus on different types of details than the male authors. For example, in “A Jury of Her Peers,” by Glaspell, the women enter the kitchen and immediately realize that something is not right. The men chalk it up as a messy kitchen and assume that the woman of the house did not take care of the household, while Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters see this a sign of distress. The sheriff’s wife notices the incomplete tasks: “Her eyes made a slow, almost unwilling turn to the bucket of sugar and the half empty bag beside it. Things begun—and not finished” (Wiki). Male authors would not consider such insignificant kitchen items as clues of a murder mystery; they are more concerned with the hard facts and physical details at the scene where the murder was committed. The messy kitchen is a symbol of distress to a woman, rather than insufficient housekeeping.

The emotional diversity of men and women is obvious to all people, but that comes across in their writing styles as well. Women write about emotion whereas men tend to stick to the “cold hard facts.” Wilkins Freeman’s “The Long Arm” incorporates emotional instability throughout the story which triggers female readers to notice something that a male might not pick up. The overly emotional character of Maria sends a clue to readers that there was more to her relationship with Martin Fairbanks than people knew. Maria’s reaction to the murder is not typical of a “friend”: “There was a scream, and Maria Wood’s face disappeared from over Phoebe Dole’s shoulder – she had fainted” (Wiki). The fact that the daughter does not have a reaction as strong as Maria indicates that the connection between Martin and Maria is more than friendship. Women writers have the ability to incorporate those types of emotions into their writing more effectively than men.

The early detective mystery male writers tended to portray women as the victim, while the female writers have created multiple roles for women in their writings. “The Long Arm” has a female character commit the murder, while in “Missing: Page Thirteen” the female is the detective. The female authors enable women to be creative and brilliant in a different light than the male writers. Edgar Allan Poe writes about two women being murdered in “The Murders of Rue Morgue” and the queen being blackmailed in “The Purloined Letter” while Doyle also assigns females the roles of victims in “The Adventure of the Speckled Band”.

Men and women have and will continue to be dissimilar for as long as humankind walks the earth. Writing styles are included in that diversity. While men stick to concrete evidence, women think outside the box. Women wear emotion on their sleeve and find the smallest piece of lint to consider evidence, but they show the woman as powerful and brilliant at the same time not always the victim.

Essay #3 Hard-boiled vs. Classic Detection – 6-13-10 Detective mysteries are intriguing and raise curiosity in the reader. The two types of detective stories are hard-boiled and classic detection. They both include elements of strengths and weaknesses. Hard-boiled detection has more strengths including the storyline that transpires at a fast pace with multiple plots, vulgar language and sexuality while, classic detection sticks to the facts and deduction of the mysteries.

Hard-boiled mysteries, such as “The Big Sleep” and “The Maltese Falcon,” take place in a matter of five days. The fast-paced plot keeps the reader’s interest on every page. The multiple plots that occur in those five days add an extra element of interest to the unraveling of the story. Missing person, murders, and the lost/stolen object unfold into a chaotic story plot, in “The Maltese Falcon,” within the first four chapters. The detective, Spade, solves all of the above in the short time period without including the reader into his personal agenda which piques the reader’s interest more.

Classic detection does not develop and unfold in such a swift way like hard-boiled detection. Classic stories proceed at a slower pace and include an intricate detail which tends to be a weakness. The wordy and drawn out explanation of these details loses the reader’s interest and seem to be left out of hard-boiled stories for that reason. Sherlock Holmes mysteries tend to use deduction from the beginning to the end informing the reader to every thought and process of solving the case. Holmes has a professional and extensive vocabulary and does not leave out any detail, like in some hard-boiled stories.

The rich language of hard-boiled detection makes the reader aware of the different character types in the story. Language tends to define a person and can determine if they are educated or a thug. The story “The Big Sleep” has a character that can be defined just by his lack of vocabulary and use of crude language. Carol Lundgren is a character of few words and those words define him as a character that is angry and vulgar. Lundgren consistently repeats, “‘Go _ yourself’” (99). The reader can fill in the blank and instantly realize that this man is a thug with limited vocabulary. This phrase is so vulgar that the author does not even write the word, yet let’s the reader fill in. Language like this is only found in hard-boiled detection which adds to the overall excitement and character of these stories and does not make the reader feel less educated like some classic detection stories may.

The language used in classic detection is concise and makes the detective sound haughty and the reader may need a dictionary to follow along. Sherlock Holmes and Dupin use and extensive vocabulary to illustrate cases and the steps taken to solve them. Vulgarity or offensive language is left out. The detectives in classic detection are defined by their language which differentiates them from hard-boiled detectives.

Sexuality in hard-boiled detection adds to the complication of the stories. The detectives get involved with women that seem to be the villain or end up dead. The story “Devil in a Blue Dress” has a scene that one would never find in classic detection. The character Easy helps his drunken friend back to his girlfriend’s apartment because he is too heavy for her to carry. The girlfriend of his friend, Coretta, then seduces Easy which leads into an explicit sexual scene. Coretta says, “‘Oh yeah, daddy, you hittin’ my spot! Oh yeah, yeah!’” (88) These lines do not add to the story and frankly I feel that they may be a bit too graphic for a detective mystery, but it does define certain characteristics of Easy. This scene is where the reader begins to question his morals. This type of scene would not appear in a classic detective mystery, which is another distinction between the two.

The strengths and weaknesses of both types of detection stories do not take away from the suspense or plot, but define the individual elements that make up classic and hard-boiled detection. I find that hard-boiled detection has many more strengths including the pace of the story, the excitement of the relationships, and the vulgar language which makes the stories seem more true to life. Classic detection stories are fabulous stories, but they tend to be wordy and drawn-out, which in the fast paced life of the present loses the attention of the reader.

Essay #1 – Revised Again “The Murders of the Rue Morgue” Edgar Allan Poe has been noted for his creative and brilliant detective mystery writing. Literary enthusiasts believe that his story “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” is the original detective story. The story has the elements of a detective mystery, leaving the reader wondering “whodunit,” but overall falls short of my expectations compared to other detective mysteries. Poe’s story includes an introduction that is wordy and boring, descriptions of the murders that are too gory, and the detective that is pompous and arrogant. First, the introduction leading up to the actual story of the murders is long winded and confusing for the reader. The opening narrative about analyzing is bewildering and forgettable. The story progresses on to introduce the main character the detective, Dupin, which then leads to a mind reading section. This section seemed to be the most pointless of all, Dupin and his friend are walking, and Dupin just blurts out who the companion is thinking of and acts nonchalant about the occurrence like the friend should not be surprised he already knew. The dialogue in their conversation is bland: The friend begins to speak about a person and pauses waiting to see if Dupin knows who he is thinking about. “Here I paused, to ascertain beyond a doubt whether he really knew whom I thought.'of Chantilly,’ said he, ‘why do you pause’” (6). This leads into a long drawn out description of how Dupin figured out his companion’s thoughts, most of which does not seem connected to the rest of the story and again is forgettable to the reader. Second, we, as readers, are introduced to the gruesome murders that were committed in a classic locked-room mystery. Dupin’s companion introduces the readers to the murders by reciting what he had read in the evening paper. The descriptions of the gory murders are horrific and not easy for sensitive readers to handle. The first murder described is that of the daughter of Madame L’Espanaye and the daughter is illustrated as being shoved up the chimney feet first. The body of Madame L’Espanaye is not found in the apartment, but rather outside and is a more horrific and a, detailed murder: “‘The body, as well as the head, was fearfully mutilated – the former so much so as scarcely to retain any semblance of humanity’” (9). The woman’s head falls off when they move the body, which promotes horrifying images to the reader. Other gory details included chunks of grey hair that still had the roots attached, and fingerprint marks on the victim’s neck. Poe’s use of description paints an especially detailed picture for the murder, but sickens the reader as he/she proceeds through this story. Finally, the detective, Dupin, is pompous and arrogant. He is not fazed by the murders, but rather acts cold. While he is a brilliant detective in his area of observation and analyzing of details, he comes across as rude and impersonal. His character seems to solve these mysteries for fun and gets pleasure and entertainment from them. Dupin solves this murder by figuring out that an orangutan committed the heinous crimes and in the end they inform the police of the details to these murders. Dupin’s expression after explaining his reasoning is described as: “This functionary, however well disposed to my friend, could not altogether conceal his chagrin at the turn which affairs had taken, and was fain to indulge in a sarcasm or two, about the propriety of every person minding his business” (29). This shows Dupin’s egotistical and pompous attitude towards solving these murders and creates an unlikeable character to the reader, while discrediting the police involved in this story. The expectations that I originally held about the story were unfortunately discredited after reading the story in its entirety. I was disappointed to learn that an animal committed the murders and felt tricked by the author. Edgar Allan Poe is a brilliant writer, but this story falls short compared to some of his other detective mysteries. His creation of a detective that is robotic rather, than humanlike, makes it hard for the reader to relate with Dupin. The gruesome murder imagery and a beginning that was excessively wordy and perplexing to the reader generates a complex and horrific story for first time detective mystery readers.

Essay # 2 - Mars vs. Venus Detective mysteries include many common elements of suspense, action, and problem-solving. Differences come into effect when you read female writers versions versus male counterparts. The female writers tend to inform the reader of more details, show emotional connections, and they descend out of the typical “victim” role. Details in detective mysteries, whether written by male or female writers, are important to the plot and the end result. Women writers tend to focus on different types of details than the male authors. For example, in “A Jury of Her Peers”, by Glaspell, the women enter the kitchen and immediately realize that something is not right. The men chalk it up to be a messy kitchen and that the woman of the house did not take care of the household, while the “housewives” find this a sign of distress. The sheriff’s wife notices the incomplete tasks: “Her eyes made a slow, almost unwilling turn to the bucket of sugar and the half empty bag beside it. Things begun—and not finished” (Wiki). Male authors would not consider adding something of this significance to a story; they are more concerned with the hard facts and physical details on the scene. The messy kitchen becomes more of a symbolism to women then the actual place the murder was committed. The emotional diversity of men and women is obvious to all people, but that comes across in their writing styles as well. Women write about emotion whereas men tend to stick to the “cold hard facts”. Wilkins Freeman’s “The Long Arm” incorporates emotional instability throughout the story which triggers female readers to notice something that a male might not pick up. The over emotional character of Maria sends a clue to readers that there was more to her relationship with Martin Fairbanks than is being shared. Maria’s reaction to the murder is not typical of a “friend”: “There was a scream, and Maria Wood’s face disappeared from over Phoebe Dole’s shoulder – she had fainted” (Wiki). The fact that the daughter did not have a reaction as Maria did shows that the connection between Martin and Maria is more than friendship. Women writers have the ability to show those types of emotions more than men. The beginning detective mystery male writers seemed to portray women as the victim, while the female writers have created multiple roles for women in their writings. “The Long Arm” has a female character commit the murder, while in “Missing: Page Thirteen” the female was the detective. The female authors enable women to be creative and brilliant in a different light than the male writers. Edgar Allan Poe writes about two women being murdered in “The Murders of Rue Morgue” and the queen being blackmailed in “The Purloined Letter” while Doyle creates the same sense of female victim roles in “The Adventure of the Speckled Band”. Men and women have and will continue to be dissimilar for as long as humankind walks the earth. Writing styles are included in that diversity. While men stick to concrete evidence, women think outside the box. Women wear emotion on their sleeve and find the smallest piece of lint to consider evidence, but they show the woman as powerful and brilliant at the same time not always the victim.

__Essay #1 – Revised “The Murders of the Rue Morgue” Edgar Allan Poe has been noted for his creative and brilliant writing with detective mystery.Literary enthusiasts believe that his story “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” is the original detective mystery story.The story has the elements of a detective mystery leaving the reader wondering “whodunit”, but overall falls short of my expectations compared to other detective mysteries written.Poe’s story includes an introduction that is wordy and boring, the descriptions of the murders are too gory, and the detective is pompous and arrogant.

First, the introduction leading up to the actual story of the murders is long winded and confusing for the reader.The opening narrative about analyzing was bewildering and forgettable.The story continues onto introduce the main character Dupin, the detective, and continues to a mind reading section.This section seemed to be the most pointless of all leading up to the actual murder plot.Dupin and his friend are walking and Dupin just blurts out who the companion is thinking of and acts nonchalant about the occurrence like the friend should not be surprised he already knew.The dialogue is bland in their conversation as follows: “‘I do not hesitate to say that I am amazed, and scarcely credit my senses.How was it possible you should know I was thinking of _?’Here I paused, to ascertain beyond a doubt whether he really knew whom I thought.__‘of Chantilly,’ said he, ‘why do you pause’” (6).This leads into a long drawn out description of how Dupin figured out his companion’s thoughts, most of which does not seem connected to the rest of the story and again is forgettable to the reader.

Next, as readers, we are introduced to the gruesome murders that were committed in a classic locked-room mystery.Dupin introduces the readers to the murders by reciting what he had read in the evening paper.The descriptions of the women murdered were horrific and not easy to handle for a reader with sensitivity to gory details.The first murder described was that of the daughter of Madame L’Espanaye and she was shoved up the chimney feet first.The body of Madame L’Espanaye was not found in the apartment, but rather outside and was a more horrific detailed murder:“‘The body, as well as the head, was fearfully mutilated – the former so much so as scarcely to retain any semblance of humanity’” (9).The woman’s head fell off when they moved the body, which is a most horrifying sense of imagery to the reader.The other gory details included chunks of grey hair that still had the roots attached, or fingerprints that left marks on a neck.Poe’s use of description paints a real detailed picture for the murder, but sickens the reader as they proceed through this story. Finally, the detective, Dupin, is pompous and arrogant.He is not fazed by the murders, but rather acts cold.While he is a brilliant detective in his ways of observation and analyzing of details, he comes across rude and impersonal.His character seems to solve these mysteries for fun and gets pleasure and entertainment from them.Dupin solves this murder by figuring out that an orangutan committed these heinous crimes and in the end they informed the police of the details to these murders.Dupin’s expression after explaining his reasoning is described as:“This functionary, however well disposed to my friend, could not altogether conceal his chagrin at the turn which affairs had taken, and was fain to indulge in a sarcasm or two, about the propriety of every person minding his business” (29).This shows Dupin’s egotistical and pompous attitude towards solving these murders and creates an unlikeable character to the reader, while discrediting the police involved in this story.

The expectations that I originally held about the story were unfortunately discredited after reading the story in its entirety.Edgar Allan Poe is a brilliant writer, but this story falls short to some of his other detective mysteries.His creation of a detective that is robotic rather, than humanlike, makes it hard for the reader to relate with Dupin.The gruesome murder imagery and a beginning that was excessively wordy and perplexing to the reader generated a complex and horrific story for first time detective mystery readers.

Essay #1 – “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” Edgar Allan Poe has been noted for his creative and brilliant writing with detective mystery. Literary enthusiasts believe that his story “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” was the original modern detective mystery story. I feel there is truth to the originality of this story, but I am not engaged by the narrative. The story falls short of action packed and suspenseful plot for my taste. The tale is boring yet gruesome. The detective Dupin, an arrogant and pompous character, who solves the mysterious murders committed by an animal for his own amusement and not for the sake of urgency. The story is drawn out from the first sentence. The introduction of the story includes the process and reasoning of analysis. The reader could get lost, as did I, and zoned in and out while reading. The paragraphs are long and drawn out with sophisticated vocabulary and dull beginnings. Poe writes, “He is fond of enigmas, of conundrums, of hieroglyphics; exhibiting in his solutions of each a degree of acumen which appears to the ordinary apprehension preternatural” (p. 2). This right away sets the stage for the story and the character to come. The narrator and the detective are the beginning of the book for me. They meet in a bookstore and are instant companions. Dupin, the detective, comes across as egotistical to the reader. He finds joy in proving people wrong and shows his excitement when he does. There is a mind reading section in the beginning that introduces the reader to this lackluster character. He blurts out who his companion is thinking about while they are walking through the streets. Dupin continues on in a long detailed explanation of how he knew exactly what the friend was thinking without the narrator actually saying anything about the subject. The commentary of this event is nearly two pages of nonsense to the reader, who may or may not remember any of it. I feel that Poe added this in to expand on the character of Dupin and his abilities, but I also do not believe that it added anything to the story. The title up until this point means nothing to the reader; not until about eight pages in do we get informed about a murder or two as we come to find out. Dupin begins to inform the readers of the murders by reiterating what he had read in the morning paper. There were two women victims that were murdered while in their apartment at about 3 o’clock in the morning. This is the classic locked door mystery with the curiosity of who committed these horrid murders. The women were found one, decapitated and the other shoved up the chimney. The image in the readers mind is one that should never be seen while reading. “‘After a thorough investigation of every portion of the house, without farther discovery, the party made its way into a small paved yard in the rear of the building, where lay the corpse of the old lady, with her throat so entirely cut that, upon an attempt to raise her, the head fell off’” (p. 9). This is not as I had expected from a murder mystery and the “first” one at that. The ghastly descriptions seem to be overwhelming for that time period and even for today’s standards. Poe is creative in using this type of imagery, but for those that have weak stomachs it is unbearable and “what” has created these gruesome murders is more outrageous. Dupin this detailed, arrogant, and long winded detective solves this mystery with amusement. The murderer is an orangutan. This was inconceivable by my thoughts. This famous author and poet used this animal as the assassin. I felt deceived by Poe. I thought it impossible for this animal to be as creative in finding his way in the locked house and commit this heinous crime. Dupin, the keen observer that he is, solved this mystery with the added testimony of the sailor. The reader is left to wonder how such a crime would be conceivable in life and is left to wonder how and why this author would choose that route in his writing. The mystery part of the story is upheld, but the discovery is disappointing. “The Murders in Rue Morgue” was to me dissatisfaction for the first known detective mystery to be written. I do credit Poe for his creativity, but feel that in a way it was a copout. The detective is not a friendly or humanistic character, yet he is more of a robot. The murders committed in the unpleasant way, stay with the reader even after they have put the book down. I can see how this story paved the way for other writers, but I wish that Poe had created “The Purloined Letter” before this one.