2009

The Worlds Greatest Detectives 2009

The Worlds Greatest Detectives

A comparative paper on Edgar Allen Poes Dupin and Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes
[Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document. Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document.]

Elita Elkana Extended Essay 8/24/2009

English A2 Extended Essay | 2009

Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Romanticism & Edgar Allen Poe .................................................................................................................. 4 The Romantic Period ................................................................................................................................. 4 Romanticism in Edgar Allen Poes Works ................................................................................................. 4 Realism & Arthur Conan Doyle .................................................................................................................... 4 The Realist Period ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Realism in Arthur Conan Doyles Works ................................................................................................... 5 Edgar Allen Poe & Arthur Conan Doyle ....................................................................................................... 5 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................... 7 Bibliography.................................................................................................................................................. 8

English A2 Extended Essay | 2009

Abstract
Research Question: How has Edgar Allen Poe influenced Arthur Conan Doyles works in the mystery genre, despite differences brought about by the changing values from the Romantic period to the Realist period? In order to fully appreciate a literary work, its pivotal to examine its context and roots. This paper aims to do so by exploring the infamous Sherlock Holmes saga penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in light of the Realist period and the prototype of detective literature in which Doyle draws inspiration from, namely The Aguste Dupin Series written by Edgar Allen Poe. Since this paper aims to contextualize two literary works and establish a collation of both, it requires concepts to be branched into three focal parts: 1) Romanticism and its evidence in Edgar Allen Poes works, 2) Realism and its evidence in Arthur Conan Doyles works, and finally, 3) Aguste Dupins influence on Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes saga. Finally, as an answer to the aforementioned thesis question, the paper will conclude on a note that, regardless of the literary works polarizing origins, Edgar Allen Poe has influenced Doyle in the detective genre through the establishment of ratiocination and a prototype armchair detective who solves conundrums through logical deduction. Word Count: 205

Introduction
Throughout centuries, readers worldwide have been riveted by the enthralling and enigmatic world of the mystery genre. Although there is a myriad of detective stories in existence to date, no author has weaved mystery stories quite as delicately and with as much intrigue as the worlds most celebrated connoisseurs of detective fiction: Edgar Allen Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Despite the fact that both authors works are reminiscent of two polarizing literature movementsPoe coming from the Romantic Period and Doyle, the Realisttheir works in the mystery genre bear surprisingly similar aspects. When one riffles through the pages of Doyles A Study in Scarlet and proceeds to read Poes The Murder of Marie Roget, they would easily find that these similarities are not coincidental. Its no doubt that Doyle was largely inspired by Poes Dupin, and pays homage to Poe in many of his writings. Doyle is even notorious for slipping humorous allusions to his predecessor, going as far as having Sherlock Holmes acknowledge Poes Dupin as a fictional character. One can argue that had there been no Dupin, Sherlock Holmes would cease to exist. Thus, the underlying question becomes: how exactly has Edgar Allen Poe influenced Arthur Conan Doyles works in the mystery genre, despite differences brought about by the changing values from the Romantic period to the Realist period? This paper seeks to draw answers by exploring the similarities and differences between the detective stories penned by both authors. Before delving into an in-depth comparison of Poe and Conan Doyles works in light of their respective eras, however, its imperative to first examine the attributes of Romanticism and Realism.

English A2 Extended Essay | 2009 [Literature needs to be contextualized. Something that doesnt come out from an empty vacuum]

Romanticism & Edgar Allen Poe

The Romantic Period
Ayn Rand puts Romanticism and Realism in a nutshell: "I am a Romantic in the sense that I present men as they ought to be. I am Realistic in the sense that I place them here and now and on this earth(Rand).The Romantic period, in this context, refers to a literature movement in England, Europe, and America dating roughly between 1828-1865. Romanticism, derived from the word romance, simply comes to mean a story that is adventuristic and improbable(Strickland). Among others, renowned Romanticists include Herman Melville, Emily Dickinson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Walt Whitman, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, William Blake, Samuel Coleridge, Lord Byron, and Edgar Allen Poe himself (Harvey). The rudimentary principle of Romantic literature states that imagination is the primary faculty for creating all art. A common technique is illuminating reality by omitting realistic details and allowing the readers imagination to wander through ethereal settings. Substantially, Romantic literature uses both reason and feeling as intellectual intuition, emphasizes on the search for and presentation of unknowable truth, focuses on the idealcharacters tend to be heroic, environments can include supernatural settings or unreal events and circumstances--, and utilizes language that gravitates towards the formal and/or poetic.

Romanticism in Edgar Allen Poes Works

Although he is dubbed the father of detective stories, Edgar Allen Poe, in actuality, wrote only three detective stories: The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841), The Mystery of Marie Roget (1842/43), and The Purloined Letter (1844) Unlike his other works, these detective tales somehow deviate from characteristics of the romantic period, and at first glance, may seem closer in trait to the Realist period due to its tendency to highlight logic and deduction. Nevertheless, that is not to say that Poes works in the detective genre are completely deprived of any Romantic qualities. Edgar Allen Poe utilizes methods characteristic of the Romantic Period such as poetic language, the absence of precise details, ambiguity, and metaphysical explanations to weave stories that may otherwise appear too logical and concrete to be categorized under Romantic literature.

Realism & Arthur Conan Doyle

The Realist Period
Realism refers to the qualities of literary works produced in Europe and the United States from 18401890s. This particular movement sparked from an age in which humans were viewed as secular beings living in a world untouched by spiritual presence (Lye). Dissimilar to its prevenient period, Realism endeavors to convey observations impartially and objectively rather than selecting facts in accord with preconceived aesthetic or ethical ideals (Britannica). Attributes such as mechanism, empirical thought and materialism, and scientific reasoning are often found in typical realist literature. Marxist critic Georg

English A2 Extended Essay | 2009 Lukacs remarks that Realist literature reflects a social reality whose phenomena serves as a model for the work of art. Due to its endeavor to convey the real world as accurately as possible, the essential quality of Realism can be analogized to that of a mirror. Through emphasis on unavoidable truths (empirical and sensory), scientific inclination, precise details, and the portrayal of main characters as average and flawed, Realism strives to mirror nature as it appears in reality.

Realism in Arthur Conan Doyles Works

Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes saga is a preeminent work of literature rife with elements characteristic of the Realist period. The employment of deductive reasoning, scientific methods, and precise details evident in Doyles works demonstrates Realisms endeavor and yearning to establish a believable illusion of reality. Reasoning and observation is one of the most recurring techniques employed by Doyles prominent character. Holmes idiosyncratic use of logic, deductive reasoning, and power of observation to solve conundrums is reminiscent of Realisms main tenet. In The Scandal of Bohemia, Holmes remarks, It is simplicity itself... My eyes tell me that on the inside of your left shoe, just where the firelight strikes it, the leather is scored by six almost parallel cuts. Obviously they have been caused by someone who has very carelessly scraped round the edges of the sole in order to remove crusted mud from it. Hence, you see, my double deduction that you had been out in vile weather, and that you had a particularly malignant boot-slitting specimen of the London slavery (Scandal of Bohemia). Realism often incorporates precise details to establish the illusion of reality. The aforementioned passage highlights how significant and customary it is for Holmes to observe details in order to arrive at answers to conundrums. Another quality of Realism is that it is scientifically inclined. In Doyles writings, this is especially evident in the many instances in which Holmes utilizes scientific methods and forensics to solve crime. Among others, these techniques include the use of tobacco ashes and cigarette butts (in A Study in Scarlet, The Adventure of Silver Blaze, The Adventure of Priory School, The Hound of the Bakersvilles, The Boscombe Valley Mystery), the comparison of typewritten letters to expose a fraud (in A Case of Identity), the use of gun powder residue to expose two murderers ("The Adventure of the Reigate Squire"), bullet comparison from two crime scenes ("The Adventure of the Empty House") and even an early use of fingerprints ("The Norwood Builder"). In addition to these techniques, Doyle also equips Holmes with the cunning ability to utilize profound knowledge in chemistry, anatomy, literature, and law to solve enigmas. This is especially characteristic of the Realist period, since it often conveys empirical knowledge.

Edgar Allen Poe & Arthur Conan Doyle

Its simple enough as you explain it, I said, smiling. You remind me of Edgar Allen Poes Dupin. I had no idea that such individuals did exist outside of stories.Watson on Holmes

English A2 Extended Essay | 2009 Aguste Dupin was Poes eccentric but brilliant investigator and Sherlock Holmes was Doyles own widely acclaimed detective, whose wits rival that of Dupins. Among the number of humorous allusions Doyle pays in homage to Poe: Sherlock Holmes rose and lit his pipe. "No doubt you think that you are complimenting me in comparing me to Dupin," he observed. "Now, in my opinion, Dupin was a very inferior fellow. That trick of his of breaking in on his friends' thoughts with an apropos remark after a quarter of an hour's silence is really very showy and superficial. He had some analytical genius, no doubt; but he was by no means such a phenomenon as Poe appeared to imagine." The Sherlock Holmes saga is fraught with not-so-subtle nods to its predecessor, the Dupin series. This alone is an indicator that both literary works are very much alike, since Doyle draws inspiration from Poes prototypical detective story. How exactly do the two compare? Regardless of their polarizing origins, what literary aspects from Poes Dupin series have Doyle applied to his own Sherlock Holmes saga? Despite originating from separate literary movements, Poes main influence on Doyle is the establishment of a prototype armchair detective and the profound use of ratiocination, in which readers are induced to join the detectives quest towards the solution and apply his own powers logic and deduction using provided clues. Aspects in Poes detective works that are evident in Doyles works include: the eccentric but brilliant amateur sleuth, the simple clue, the stupidity or ineptitude of the police, the resentment of the police for the amateurs interference, the simple but careful solution of the problem through logic, deduction and observation, the prototype of armchair detective, and the use of advertisement to attract quarries. The skills employed by Poes Dupin and Doyles Sherlock Holmes are founded upon principle and logic. Their relationship mirrors that of Plato and Aristotle: Dupin described his approach as a combination of the skills of the poet and the mathematician, skills whose essential nature normally removes them from direct applicability in the practical world. Sherlock Holmes's debt to Dupin was certainly real, but in this respect it is like that of Aristotle, the great scientist, to Plato, another great poet-mathematician. The Platonic tradition in detection continued... Its method -- ratiocination -- remained the esoteric gift of particular geniuses. Holmes's scientific method... was, like Aristotle's, empirical, depending upon investigations into the matter of the mundane world and resulting in synthetic conclusions regarding the nature of that matter (Van Dover 43-4). The use of clues early on in the plot is a recurring aspect found in both works. The manner of both characters involvement with the crimes varies. In Murders in the Rue Morgue, Dupin is a disinterested observer, piecing together the clues through newspapers and a single visit the crime scene, and through newspapers alone in The Mystery of Marie Rogt. When the body of a man is found in a house in London, Holmes is called in to investigate some interesting clues, namely a woman's wedding ring and a timetable for the Atlantic Steamship Company. Another commonality in both works is the stupidity & ineptitude of the police. This aspect is included to elevate the significance and influence of main characters in the stories and downplay minor characters. Both stories also display the resentment of the police for the amateurs interference and vigilantism. In

English A2 Extended Essay | 2009 The Murders in The Rue Morgue: The Parisian police are cunning, but no more. There is no method in their proceedings, beyond the method of the moment. In A Study in Scarlet, Holmes remarks on the ineptitude of the police: Scotland Yarders, my friend remarked; he and Lestrade are the pick of a bad lot. They are both quick and energetic, but conventional shockingly so. Yet another similarity found in both works is the detectives fervor for mysteries and deduction. In A Study in Scarlet, Holmes expresses his utmost reliance on deduction: Yes, I have a turn for observation and for deduction. The theories which I have expressed there, and which appear to you to be so chimerical are really extremely practical so practical that I depend upon them for my bread and cheese. Poes fictional detective stories were an attempt to explore a protagonist with the ability to unravel cases without the aid of the police by gathering clues and sifting through newspapers to pinpoint crimes. This prototype is better known as the armchair detective. Holmes was very much influenced by Dupins profession, and followed in his footsteps by posing as a consultant detective operating independently from the law. In The Mystery of Marie Roget: This point being settled, the Prefect broke forth at once into explanations of his own views, interspersing them with long comments upon the evidence; of which latter we were not yet in possession. He discoursed much, and beyond doubt, learnedly; Dupin, sitting steadily in his accustomed armchair, was the embodiment of respectful attention. In A Study in Scarlet, Holmes comments on his profession: "Well, I have a trade of my own. I suppose I am the only one in the world. I'm a consulting detective, if you can understand what that is. Here in London we have lots of Government detectives and lots of private ones. When these fellows are at fault they come to me, and I manage to put them on the right scent. They lay all the evidence before me, and I am generally able, by the help of my knowledge of the history of crime, to set them straight. There is a strong family resemblance about misdeeds, and if you have all the details of a thousand at your finger ends, it is odd if you can't unravel the thousand and first. Lestrade is a well-known detective. He got himself into a fog recently over a forgery case, and that was what brought him here."

Conclusion
As connoisseurs of detective fiction, both Edgar Allen Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle have enraptured readers throughout decades with their gripping tales of mystery and enigma. A quintessential romanticist, Poe devises mystery stories that allow readers to envisage surreal settings rather than restrict their imaginations to convoluted details. Rather than provide scientific explanations as denouements for his stories, Poe gravitates towards metaphysical conclusions. Doyle, on the other hand, opts to establish empirical and scientific reasoning in the Sherlock Holmes saga. He constructs a believable character whose cunning methods of solving crime involve logical deduction and utmost scrutiny. Despite the differing characteristics of both literary works, however, both the Dupin mysteries and the Sherlock Holmes saga share more commonalities than one would expect when examining their respective periods. How has Poe influenced Doyle, regardless of their different origins? Edgar Allen Poe has influenced Arthur Conan Doyles works in the mystery and detective genre through the establishment of

English A2 Extended Essay | 2009 ratiocination and the usage of a prototype armchair detective who solves conundrums through logical deduction; this is true despite differences brought about by changing values from the romantic to realist periods.

Bibliography
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Thomas, Drew R. Edgar Allan Poe's Influence on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Part 1.books.com. 2003-2009. 1 March 2009. <http://www.worlds-best-detective-crime-and-murder-mysterybooks.com/poeinfluenceondoyle01-article.html>

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VanSpanckeren, Kathryn. Online of American Literature,The Romantic Period, 1820-1860, Fiction. usembassy.de. 1 March 2009

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Taylor, Beverly. Poes The Purloined Letter and Doyles A Scandal in Bohemia More Alike than Different?.docstoc.com. 1 March 2009 <http://www.docstoc.com/docs/4685842/Poe-s-The-Purloined-Letter-and-Doyle-s-A>

Tales Of Ratiocination, Or Detective Fiction: Introduction to "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Purloined Letter". Cliffnotes.com. April 8 2009. <http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/Poe-s-Short-Stories-Summary-Analysisand-Original-Text-The-Purloined-Letter-.id-145,pageNum-97.html >

Romanticism VS Realism. Uwsp.edu. April 8 2009. <http://www.uwsp.edu/english/cwilliams/romvsreal.html> Lye, John, Prof. English Language & Literature. Brocku.ca April 20, 2009. http://www.brocku.ca/english/courses/2F55/realism.php P. Landow, George. Victorianweb.org May 1, 2009 <http://www.victorianweb.org/genre/Realism.html> Engelhardt, Sandra. The Investigators of Crime in Literature. A. Sebeok, Thomas. The Sign of Three: Dupin, Holmes, Peirce. Indiana University Press: 1983. Kopley, Richard. Edgar Allen Poe and the Dupin Mysteries. Palgrave Macmillian, New York: 2008. Arthur Conan Doyle. May 15, 2009. Westministeronline.org http://www.westministeronline.org/conandoyle/Fiction.html

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Panek, Leroy. Doyle. May 15, 2009. Questiaschool.com <http://www.questiaschool.com/read/101552898?title=Chapter%203%3A20Poe>

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