Professional paper
“The genius of deep crime”: Edgar Allan Poe’s Dupin and the Production of Information
Nika Keserović
Abstract
This paper explores Edgar Allan Poe's character C. Auguste Dupin in the tales of ratiocination – “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” “The Mystery of Marie Roget,” and “The Purloined Letter”. While these stories are frequently referred to as the beginning of detective fiction due to their focus on logical reasoning as a method for crime-solving, they also engage with the socio-political climate of their time, which is marked by liberalism and the commodification of information. The paper starts by utilizing Michel Foucault’s understanding of liberalism and the accompanying “culture of danger” that emerges in the 19th century, and explores urbanization and the resulting societal distrust, as depicted in Poe's earlier work, “The Man of the Crowd,” which serves as a prelude to Dupin’s analytical abilities. It then moves to the analysis of C. Auguste Dupin, a polymath with exceptional analytical skills who solves mysterious and perplexing crimes. However, his evolution from an amateur sleuth working for personal satisfaction to a professional, interest-driven detective reflects the capitalist encroachment on intellectual endeavors. By the end of the ratiocination cycle, Dupin’s motivations align more with financial and political interests, suggesting his entanglement in capitalist structures. The paper argues that Dupin's evolution reflects the pervasive influence of capitalism and the commodification of knowledge, transforming him from a solver of mysteries to an agent of the status quo.
Keywords
Edgar Allan Poe; ratiocination; detective fiction; knowledge; capitalism
Hrčak ID:
325125
URI
Publication date:
24.12.2024.
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