Hi,

I really need this the answer to this question (How did the period of Industrial Revolution affect Poe's short stories) for my research paper. I hope to receive a very helpful reply. Thanks!

Justine

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2004

Answers

man you screwed thats all i got to say

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2004

This is the second time I've heard that seemingly bizarre question. Some teacher must have a good answer for that. Just getting this out of the blue from somewhere other than the people who framed this question is not easy.

How broad is the definition of the "Industrial Revolution"? Poe was a Romantic who reacted against the insensitive inroads against pristine nature, against the demythologizing of the spiritual nature (sonnet on "Science"). The socio-economic competition, hardship, lifestyles are vaguely seen perhaps. "The Man in the Crowd"? Progress and science are big when he writes about the expansion, discoveries, sciences and exploration, or the effect of new technologies on literature(on "Anastatic Writing"). The major short stories seem to have no direct link to the specifics of the Industrial Revolution. "Scheherazade" a comedy where the heroine tells of the wonders of the modern age ends badly for her because the sultan cannot believe such tall tales. Mystical tales of the future might reflect something. I don't know. With something like this you have to be loooking for specifics in farflung stories (www.eapoe.org). If "Eureka" bypasses the topic I don't know how much any effect is really seen.

Screwed, quite possibly, but the teacher should darn well know what he is expecting. Ask him for help.

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2004

Poe seems to have a guarded fascination re. man vs. the new power of machines, much like modern science fiction writers. His precise depictions of machinery can be chilling ("The Pit and The Pendulum"). Then again, the absurd decapitation-by-clock-hands in "A Predicament," seems to be the comic flip-side of "Pit."

Poe convincingly employs technology to inflate our faith in it, only so he can later deflate it. Ex: "The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaal." "Maelzel's Chess-Player" exposes man posing as machine. In "The Man That Was Used Up," the seemingly perfect human turns out to be largely made up of the latest technology.

Poe seems to be saying, perhaps, that the new mechanical wonders are powerful tools----so beware....

-- Anonymous, January 16, 2004