I am looking for cliff notes on the Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym , with great outlines of characters

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2001

Answers

No substitute for reading. The major characters are not many. Pym and his buddy Augustus who dies halfway through. Dirk Peters, Pym's companion through the second half. A host of minor lesser characters, most of whom die. The book can be handled though it is not as easy to get through as a short story. Long sections on the South Seas are mainly decriptive. You can feel Poe struggling with what appears as a roller coaster of effects rather than one incident, and trying to load structure and symbolism while maintaining interest and the same kind of engagement as in his tales. He himself considered his attempt unsatisfactory and did not like the rambling, dissipating nature of novels. I personally think he intended a conclusion, sequel or revision based on new discoveries from a contemporary Polar expedition. Those hopes fizzled along with poor book sales. If you have specific questions? I suppose Cliff Notes is on the net or amazon.com for ordering.

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2001