Poe’s short stories and their impact on the cinema today attract me. Because of that and because of the rising importance of film studies I decided to choose a current film adaptation of Poe’s tales for my work; the mystery-thriller “The Raven” with John Cusack. Three main aspects of Poe’s short stories are the theme of detection, the theme of insanity and the mood with which he builds up a dreamy semi-reality.
So I want to prove the hypothesis that those central elements of Poe’s short stories are still up to date and have a great influence on movies like The Raven. Therefore I will not only use the primary sources of Poe’s short stories and the film The Raven, I will also take into consideration major works by, for instance, G. R. Thompson and Benjamin F. Fisher.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- A Short Overview of the Main Aspects in Poe's Short Stories
- Detection
- Insanity
- Mood
- An Analysis of the Aspects Adopted in the Movie "The Raven"
- Comparison and Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to examine the influence of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories on the movie "The Raven." The study focuses on three key aspects present in Poe's works: detection, insanity, and mood. The hypothesis is that these central elements of Poe's short stories are still relevant today and have a significant influence on modern movies. This paper will analyze the film in relation to Poe's work, comparing the central ideas and their transformation in James McTeigue's "The Raven," ultimately drawing a conclusion based on the hypothesis.
- Detection as a literary form and Poe's use of the detective figure C. Auguste Dupin.
- The theme of insanity and its portrayal in Poe's gothic tales.
- Poe's creation of mood and atmosphere in his short stories.
- The influence of Poe's literary themes on contemporary film adaptations.
- The specific adaptation of "The Raven" and its use of Poe's elements.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The paper begins by providing a theoretical background of the main aspects found in Poe's short stories: detection, insanity, and mood. This section focuses on the key elements of these themes as they appear in Poe's works, such as the use of the detective figure C. Auguste Dupin in his tales of ratiocination, the exploration of sanity versus madness in his gothic tales, and the creation of a dreamy, semi-realistic mood in his narratives.
The next chapter will analyze the film "The Raven" with reference to the theoretical framework established in the previous chapter. This section will explore how the elements of detection, insanity, and mood are manifested in the movie, examining how the film draws inspiration from Poe's short stories and adapts them for a contemporary audience.
The final chapter will compare Poe's original ideas with their transformation in "The Raven," highlighting the similarities and differences between the literary and cinematic versions of these themes. It will conclude by assessing the hypothesis and offering a broader understanding of the lasting influence of Poe's work on contemporary film.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The paper will primarily focus on the themes of detection, insanity, and mood within the context of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories and their influence on the film "The Raven." Key terms and concepts include ratiocination, gothic literature, detective fiction, the detective figure C. Auguste Dupin, the theme of madness, and the creation of atmosphere and mood through language and narrative structure. The study will also consider the influence of Poe's work on contemporary film adaptations, particularly the use of his themes and ideas in modern cinema.
- Quote paper
- Sarah Höchst (Author), 2015, Detection, Insanity and Mood. The Main Aspects of Edgar Allan Poe’s Short Stories and their Influence on the Movie “The Raven”, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/370099
