“The Purloined Letter” – By Adgar Allan Poe

Setting of the story:

The setting of Paris, which is known as the city of love and excitement, promises adventure in the coming story. The detailing of a dark, gusty evening in autumn gives the story a dark felling, as is the case with almost all thrilling detective stories.

Characters:

 -Ausguste Dupin (Detective)
-Narrator (Dupin's Friend)
-Prefect (Monsieur G.)
-Minister D. (Thief)
-Unnamed Conflicted Woman 

Theme:

The truth about life and the story is that when people are trying so hard and looking for something so precisely, that what is being searched for is so commonly overlooked because at is hidden in the most obvious of places. In this case the object is as stolen letter, but the object that some people search for and never find is happiness, which is often right in front of them.

Gothic Techniques used by Poe:

Poe's Single Effect is demonstrated through not revealing detail about what is in the letter. Poe remained very vague to draw more attention to the theme of revenge, which drove the motives in the story. Characterization also supports this in the sense that all characters except the narrator are involved in the search for the letter. The setting contributes to the theme as well. For example, the opening line of the story sets the mood with the description of a gusty day just after dawn. So, The Purloined Letter is a gothic work. This can be determined because it has a dark setting (the narrator resides in a small, gloomy apartment in Paris). When the Prefect tells the story of how the letter was stolen, he creates a dark setting as well by describing the disparity of the girl who the letter was stolen from. The creepy atmosphere is derived from much of the mystery that shrouds the contents of the letter.

 Short Summary:

The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe is a short story about the seizure of and search for a letter. The letter contained important information about Minister D--, who stole the letter from a young lady. The Prefect of Paris, Monsieur G——, meticulously searched for the letter in Minister D--'s apartment. The Prefect is anxious to find the letter because of the large reward offered. When he comes up empty-handed he turns to C. Augustine Dupin and his friend, the narrator. They advise the Prefect to search the apartment again. One month later, the Prefect consults them once again. Dupin reveals that he found the letter, which was hidden in plain sight. He explains that the Prefect could have never found the letter because he was caught up in his own specific search tactics.