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Edgar Allan Poe The Purloined Letter Analysis

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The Purloined Letter by American author Edgar Allan Poe is considered to be the first detective fiction story which was published in the literary annual The Gift in 1845 and was soon reprinted in other journals and newspapers. Prior to this books, journal, and stories mainly focused on the moral issues, restoration, tragedy, comedy and such other genres of writing. Poe’s gift of detective writing opened a new spectrum to the world of literature. In fact, Arthur Conan Doyle said “Each [of Poe’s detective stories] is a root from which a whole literature has developed… Where was the detective story until Poe breathed the breath of life into it?” Poe has demonstrated a brilliant command of language and technique as well as an inspired and original imagination; it is due to the simplicity in the sophistication of this short story that it is widely read and is popular till date.
Poe has kept this story very simple from the root level. He has crafted the plot in such a deliberate manner that there is a symmetry of thought and action by the characters. In the purloined letter, there are only three characters i.e. Dupin, Narrator and Prefect who are in the foreground. Rest of the characters are constrained in the background. Also, we are informed that all the characters (except Minister D) have a sound history and belong either to aristocratic or upper class. With this point, Poe develops an interest for the readers to read the story.
The story is set in Paris, in a little back

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