Compare & Contrast Pit & Pendulum with Murders in Rue Morguegreenspun.com : LUSENET : The Work of Edgar Allan Poe : One Thread |
I need help!!! Compare & Contrast "The Pit & the Pendulum" & "The Murders in the Rue Morgue".
-- Anonymous, November 19, 2001
Aside from the obvious details, start with what is in common. They both have a main character who must solve a dark mystery using his wits to conquer horrific misperceptions, in other words using science and reason to make imagination work to a solution. Both show the triumph of that reason except that in the Pit the narrator needs an outside rescue. He has only bought himself time for his personal rescue. Dupin has more leisure to solve an outside predicament. So the Pit predominantly is horror struggling with reason and the Dupin story a straightforward ratiocination tale.
-- Anonymous, November 24, 2001