Looking at the representation of Edgar Allan Poe in the works of literary scholars reveals an ambivalent positioning. While some celebrate him as one of the most ingenious writers in America, if not in the world, others reject him for the fact that they consider him racist, sexist, elitist and anti-democratic. However, both sides are – in one way or the other – fascinated by Poe and his works, who has thus become one of the most discussed American authors.
This paper will examine a specific part of Poe's manifold bibliography, namely a selection of short stories, and work out how names are used to establish, convey or support a certain attitude or underlying meaning. Yet the objects of investigation are not necessarily solely names of the characters, since Poe has also assigned certain names to, for instance, buildings (in The Fall of the House of Usher) or beverages (in The Cask of Amontillado), which are not less important to the respective stories than the characters' names and are therefore to be taken into consideration as well.
In order to assume a certain theoretical background, this paper will start with a brief description of the general way in which Edgar Allan Poe wrote (and intended to write) literary texts in order to help to estimate which relevance should be assigned to specific details (names). A second theoretical section deals with the overall function of names in literature. What follows is the analytic part of this paper, namely the analysis of the significance of certain names in four of Poe's short stories. The analysis will start with The Fall of the House of Usher as both one of the most famous and one of the most controversially discussed of Poe's tales and deal with the way how names support the story's interpretation. The next section will deal with The Cask of Amontillado, adding special emphasis on the reliability of the narrator, based on the way in which the story is told and names are used. Thirdly, the center of attention will be Poe's The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether and, accordingly, political references which are conveyed by the use of names. Finally, The Mystery of Marie Rogêt is analyzed as an example of a story which was written after real events. Here, it is especially rather the question for the reasons of the renaming than the question for the origin of the respective name (which in this case is not only obvious, but also explained in the story itself.
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Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Poe's general approach to the writing of a literary text
3 The role of names in literary texts
4 Names and character traits in The Fall of the House of Usher
4.1 Roderick and Madeline Usher
4.2 The House of Usher
5 Names and social status in The Cask of Amontillado
5.1 Montresor
5.2 Fortunato
5.3 Amontillado, Medoc, and De Grâve
6 Political references of characters' names in The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether
6.1 Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether
6.2 Monsieur Maillard
7 The realization of references to real persons in The Mystery of Marie Rogêt
8 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines how Edgar Allan Poe strategically utilizes names within his short stories to convey specific attitudes, political subtexts, and character traits, arguing that these choices are intentional rather than coincidental.
- Analysis of names as narrative instruments beyond simple character identification.
- Investigation of the symbolic and metaphorical significance of names in specific literary works.
- Exploration of how names reflect political, social, and psychological dimensions.
- Evaluation of Poe's meticulous authorial control over the smallest details in his compositions.
Excerpt from the Book
Names and character traits in The Fall of the House of Usher
Disregarding for a moment the various interpretations that lead to the suspection that Poe's Fall of the House of Usher is a story with only one or two 'factually existing' characters in it, the figures worthwhile to examine are the Usher twins and the narrator. Since the latter is unnamed, he will here only be mentioned when he is essential to the analysis of the other characters. The only other persons in the story are the physician and the servant, who are “not realized as characters [and] less impressive than the furniture” (Abel 72) and therefore of no further interest for the upcoming analysis. Yet not only the obvious protagonists play a crucial role for the understanding and analysis; in fact every element in The Fall of the House of Usher “is a metaphorical detour, a delay in the course of a narrative that pushes toward its own tautological conclusion” (Riddel 134). Focusing on names, a second emphasis in the analysis of this story will be put on the 'House of Usher' as “the most conspicuous symbol in the tale” (Abel 75).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of the scope and aims of the study, noting Poe's status in literature and the methodology used to analyze the significance of names.
2 Poe's general approach to the writing of a literary text: This section details Poe's rejection of spontaneous emotion in favor of precise, calculated planning and structural logic in his creative writing.
3 The role of names in literary texts: This chapter establishes the theoretical foundation, discussing how authors use names to create identity, convey meaning, and establish character traits.
4 Names and character traits in The Fall of the House of Usher: This section explores how the names of the Usher family and their estate function as symbolic representations of the characters' fates and the house itself.
4.1 Roderick and Madeline Usher: This section analyzes the etymology and symbolic implications of the names of the two protagonists in relation to their psychological states.
4.2 The House of Usher: This section discusses the dual meaning of the term 'House of Usher' as both a physical structure and a family line facing inevitable collapse.
5 Names and social status in The Cask of Amontillado: This chapter examines how names and specific terminology define the social roles and credibility of the characters within this tale of revenge.
5.1 Montresor: This section explores the etymology of the narrator's name and its connection to his perceived social status and secret motivations.
5.2 Fortunato: This section analyzes how the name of the victim mirrors his irony-laden fate and his subordinate status relative to the narrator.
5.3 Amontillado, Medoc, and De Grâve: This section discusses how the specific names of wines serve to characterize the protagonists' knowledge and reliability.
6 Political references of characters' names in The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether: This section explores how character naming conventions in this story serve to reflect political and societal tensions of the 19th century.
6.1 Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether: This section explains how these names function as metaphors for social control and the specific practice of 'tarring and feathering'.
6.2 Monsieur Maillard: This section examines the historical and political weight of the name Maillard in the context of the story's depiction of rebellion and anarchy.
7 The realization of references to real persons in The Mystery of Marie Rogêt: This chapter investigates how Poe adapted the real-life murder of Mary Rogers into his fiction and the reasoning behind the changes in names and locations.
8 Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the findings, confirming that Poe’s naming choices follow a deliberate, continuous pattern meant to guide the reader's interpretation.
Keywords
Edgar Allan Poe, Onomastics, Literary Analysis, Characterization, Symbolic Meaning, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Cask of Amontillado, The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether, The Mystery of Marie Rogêt, Narrative Structure, Etymology, Political Allegory, Romanticism, Authorship, Metaphor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on the significance of names in selected short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, arguing that names are deliberately chosen by the author to support thematic elements and character traits.
What are the central themes of the work?
Key themes include the intentionality of authorial design, the symbolic use of nomenclature, the intersection of character psychology with naming, and the political or social context embedded within Poe's fiction.
What is the primary research objective?
The objective is to work out how names are used to establish, convey, or support specific attitudes or underlying meanings within the selected short stories.
Which scientific method is applied?
The author employs literary analysis and close reading, supported by historical, etymological, and secondary critical literature to evaluate the significance of names.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section investigates specific stories: The Fall of the House of Usher, The Cask of Amontillado, The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether, and The Mystery of Marie Rogêt.
What are the primary keywords characterizing this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as onomastics, symbolic meaning, narrative structure, authorship, and specific story titles, highlighting a focus on literary detail.
How does the name "Montresor" influence the interpretation of The Cask of Amontillado?
The name is analyzed for its French origin ('mon trésor') and its potential connections to the narrator's secret motivations and his role as an unreliable narrator.
Why did Poe change the real names of the victim and location in The Mystery of Marie Rogêt?
The author suggests that Poe sought to avoid legal issues like libel while maintaining the authenticity and investigative structure of the original Mary Rogers murder case.
- Quote paper
- Bastian Immanuel Wefes (Author), 2012, The Significance of Names in Selected Short Stories by Edgar Allan Poe, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/201476
