Aspects of Edgar Allen Poe's Cosmology and his Theory of the Short Story in 'The Fall of the House of Usher'

Zusatztext

1. Introduction&#13;&#13;Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most famous but at the same time most controversial au¬thors of the American Renaissance. He is well-known for his short stories that often leave the reader confused, because he combines nightmare-like visions with a peculiar sense of aesthetics. Fewer people, however, know that Poe developed extensive phi¬losophical theories on various subjects and thus presented new aspects of his literary works. In the first part of my paper I will focus on Poe"s theory of Cosmology and his the¬ory of the short story. I will give a brief outline of both theories stressing the correspon¬dences between both philosophical works. Poe"s main emphasis lies on the effect of unity that governs the universe as well as every short story that ideally represents a smaller version of our macrocosm.&#13;&#13;&#13;The second part of my papers shows how Poe"s theories can be applied to his short story "The Fall of the House of Usher". I will argue that Poe constructed the plot systematically to create a unity of all elements. Furthermore I shall illustrate the multiple relationships and references among the details of the story. My thesis is mainly supported by E. Arthur Robinson"s essay "Order and Sen¬tience in<The Fall of the House of Usher>" and Beebe Maurice"s discourse on "The Universe of Roderick Usher" which proves to be of essential help. Poe"s Philosophy of Composition is the basis for my outline of his theory of the short story.&#13;&#13;

Weitere Details