i need to know about the detective in the murders in the rue morgue. background, their personality, methods of detection, mammerisms, attitudes, and so on.

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2003

Answers

The narrator is like Dr. Watson(actally the other way around) and reveals the detective to us as a naive observer. So Dupin explains his method to his admiring friend, especially his method which is mind fired by poetic intuiton and leaps driving the incredible rational intellect to uncover mysteries. For more details however you should read the short story with a pad andpencil. It is not hard and Poe does not overwhelm you with lengthy or florid details- except the philosophy and the erudite references may be too much if you concentrate too hard on that. This is the protype for all detective fiction,especially like the Watson Holmes variety- the eccentric genius gentleman detective assisting the baffled police to solve almost supernatuallly Gothic mysteries.

Trying to explain Dupin in a summary alone would be as misleading as Cliff Notes. The unity of effect in the story makes it necessary to see the whole(i.e. read it).

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2003