I NEED TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS FOR MY EVIL TEACHER BUT I DIDNT UNDESTOOD THE STORY VERY WEEL. CAN SOMEONE SUMMARISE IT FOR ME. THE MORE DITAILS THE BEST.

THANXZ A LOT!

-- Anonymous, April 20, 2003

Answers

A rationalist protesting the unbelievability of a magazine story about a man inhaling too strongly his blowdart is visited by a gremlin called the Angel of the Odd, who proceeds to get him drunk and then by a series of "odd" accidents, ruins him. he awakens finally in a mess after having accpeted the power of the angel. The angel speaks in pidgin German of the broad type of ethnic humor common in America at that time.

Compare this humorous tale of imaginary self-destruction through drink and this very conversational sprite and the more serious story "The Imp of the Perverse" in which no imp is needed but the strange self-destructive urge within the man himself. Neither can explain the phenomenon to the rationalist side of the man and are both quizzical self-examinations by Poe. "Go to der teuffel den" probably translates "go to the devil then", hell being his own chimney fireplace.

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2003