Term Paper on "Edgar Allen Poe"
Term Paper 5 pages (1275 words) Sources: 0
[EXCERPT] . . . .
Edgar Allen Poe is one of the most revered American authors. He is most famously known for his dark satires and poems. Few would characterize him as a humorist however, yet this is exactly what he aims to achieve in much of his literature. Poe's goal is not the traditional definition of American humor made popular by the likes of Mark Twain. Satire is not his particular strong suit; however Poe problematizes humor through some of his work. This is especially evident in a trio of writings that features the theme of apes. Poe uses humor in the context of hoaxes to craftily challenge but also ridicule the reader. The following analysis will examine "The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether," one of his most successful "comedies." Poe uses the imagery of an ape to develop a strong theme throughout his work and manipulate the reader's understanding through interplay of hoaxes.Tarr and Fether" is viewed by many Poe scholars as his best comic creation. It has a complex but manageably digestive plot along with richly developed characters that range from the insane to the highly intellectual. At the core level the strength of "Tarr and Fether" lies in the development of a hoax drive narrative strategy. The central theme of "Tarr and Fether" surrounds the motif of inmates ruling the asylum, a motif that that strongly figures into why Poe consistently uses the ape analogy as he develops his narrative. The story surrounds the central figure of Maillard, a French mastermind. Unlike his previous works where Poe attempts to confuse the reader as much as possible, he uses straight narrative to explain Maillard's "diseased intelligence." He is an asylum director who has gone made and is now locked up by his own
download full paper ⤓
The problematization of humor occurs through the text in a series of hoaxes. The chief strategy of Poe is to hide the individual, who is being duped, principally the readers themselves. He describes Maillard as "a portly, fine-looking gentleman with a certain air of gravity, dignity and authority" (p. 1003). The audience is left to guess at the subtle twists within the plot since Poe only hints at the real state of affairs at the asylum. The use of apes within this narrative is the driver of his humor. When the staff of the asylum first surfaces, the narrator misperceives them to be Ourang-Outangs. The use of apes as an allusion is extremely important to the overall narrative; Poe uses them as a characterization of the dimwitted nature of the narrator as well as the genius of Maillard. For the majority of the story, until the actual denouement the reader never realizes that Maillard is crazy. Since the narrator is so reliable from the outset, the principle nature of Poe's hoax is that we do not realize the unreliability of the narrator until we have been "duped." The appearance of the apes within this narrative is a symbol of the narrator's unreliability and the dimwitted nature of the narration.
The complex interplay of truth vs. insanity is part of the problematization of humor that Poe engages in. The reader is left to ponder at who the humor is directed towards, whether the narrator is the recipient of the hoax or in fact it is the reader themselves. The dimwitted nature of the narrator often forces the reader to draw their own conclusions,… READ MORE
Quoted Instructions for "Edgar Allen Poe" Assignment:
Poe wrote three stories that feature, in some form or another, an orangutan or the image of the ape. Take a close look at one such tale, *****The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether,***** and consider how Poe uses the *****ape***** to develop an idea or manipulate the reader.
In a well-organized essay on *****Tarr and Fether,***** develop an argument around one of the ideas listed below. In doing so, compare *****Tarr and Fether***** to at least one other Poe tale discussed in class. Your essay may focus on How does Poe problematize Humor (the Hoax)
5 pages double spaced
How to Reference "Edgar Allen Poe" Term Paper in a Bibliography
“Edgar Allen Poe.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2007, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/edgar-allen-poe-one/76175. Accessed 5 Oct 2024.
Related Term Papers:
Edgar Allen Poe and Psychology Term Paper
Edgar Allen Poe
Poe and Psychology: The Meaning of Evil in the Lives of his Characters
Discussion of the Imp of the Perverse, the Black Cat and the Tell-Tale Heart… read more
Term Paper 4 pages (1624 words) Sources: 7 Style: MLA Topic: Literature / Poetry
Edgar Allen Poe Term Paper
Edgar Allen Poe
The Life of Poe
When the great American writer Edgar Allan Poe passed away on October 7, 1849, there were many interesting, informative obituaries written about his… read more
Term Paper 6 pages (2250 words) Sources: 11 Style: MLA Topic: Literature / Poetry
Edgar Allen Poe the Controversial American Poet Term Paper
Edgar Allen Poe
The controversial American poet Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809 in Boston and dies forty years later in Baltimore, under unknown circumstances. Poe's eventful and unusual… read more
Term Paper 6 pages (2753 words) Sources: 5 Style: MLA Topic: Literature / Poetry
Edgar Allen Poe's "The Masque Term Paper
Edgar Allen Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" & Robert Olen Butler's "Jealous Husband Returns in the Form of Parrot"
In the writing "Jealous Husband Returns in the Form… read more
Term Paper 1 pages (398 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Aging / Death / Gerontology
Edgar Allen Poe's Works Essay
Poe
Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most storied authors in American literature. He is known for his gruesome tales filled with sinister words and imagery that stem from… read more
Essay 3 pages (983 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Literature / Poetry
Sat, Oct 5, 2024
If you don't see the paper you need, we will write it for you!
We can write a new, 100% unique paper!