Critical introduction to law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Critical introduction to law - Essay Example Poe takes a unique approach to the detective story and takes the reader from the end of the mystery to the beginning. By taking this approach, Poe presents an exercise in logical reasoning.3 Certainly, Poe’s The Purloined Letter has been the subject of considerable attention by literary critics, jurists and even psychoanalytical evaluation since its publication in 1845.4 Essentially, Poe masterfully interjects what is described as the â€Å"hermeneutic enterprise† by taking the meaning attached to a concealed item and revealing its meaning and significance.5 In this regard, the power of logic reasoning is explored and the struggle is therefore not between a criminal and law enforcement as is typical of detective fiction, but within the human mind. This paper will offer a critique of The Purloined Letter by first setting out the relevant historical factors and secondly, by presenting a synopsis of the text and commentary by critics on the text. I. Historical Background C ommentary inserted under The Purloined Letter in a collection of Poe’s works titled Thirty-Two Stories, notes that there were more significant and drastic changes in Western countries during Poe’s lifetime than at any other â€Å"brief period in human history†.6 Technological advances in communications, transportation, photography and other technologies occurred and had an â€Å"impact within Poe’s short life†.7 The commentary further notes that: Industrialization and other aspects of modernized society tore apart traditional assumptions and altered the structure of families, the nature of work, and the â€Å"feel† of life itself.8 These changes brought with them a threat to conventions in which artist perceived that they had special authority and were knowledgeable. However, changes brought about by advances in technology significantly reduced the special power and knowledge attributed to artists. The artists were reduced to a creator of pu re entertainment or beauty. In The Purloined Letter, Poe challenges these perceptions and promotes the wider significance of the artist. For instance the Prefect of Police may have a narrowly defined job, but the artist is not so narrowly defined. The systematic investigative techniques of the Perfect of Police fall short of the criteria necessary for finding the purloined letter.9 The fact is the Prefect of Police needs Dupin who is not only educated and experienced but also happens to be an artist: a poet. As the commentary notes: The Purloined Letter can be read as Poe’s version of that argument one sees in so many Romanic authors: the world needs â€Å"inspired† artists for their power and their wisdom.10 It is against this background that Poe’s The Purloined Letter is examined and critiqued. While Poe is said to have been defending the role of the artists in a rapidly changing world, it has also been suggested that Poe was demonstrating the flaws associated with humanity and institutions. An examination of the text will bear this out. II. Synopsis and Analysis of The Purloined Letter A. Synopsis The Purloined Letter centres around a letter that is presumably damaging although the contents of the letter are not revealed. The letter is presumably from a secret lover and was sent to the queen. Both