When first published in 1841, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" was not "typical" Edgar Allan Poe. Gaining momentum as a Gothic horror writer, Poe had already penned "The Fall of the House of Usher" and several poems before "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" came to be. The latter work, however, proved that the author was so much more than a horror specialist. In fact, "Rue Morgue" was the first of three Poe tales that warrant his distinction as the father of detective fiction and the modern-day mystery.
The Birth of a Detective and the Beginnings of Detective Fiction — Poe's C. Auguste Dupin
For what would be his first detective story, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," Poe created Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin. Often credited as the "first-ever fictional detective," Dupin is an analytical and frightfully perceptive amateur private investigator. He earns the "detective" distinction if not in title than through his process.
Poe's so-called "detective," C. Auguste Dupin is not much more than an unemployed philosopher with keen gifts of observation and rational assumption. Dupin earns his private investigator status through sheer curiosity. As a member of a once wealthy family that "by a variety of untoward events" has lost its wealth and, thus, its status, Dupin (though certainly not destitute) retreats from Parisian society. He hides away, collecting rare books, until a chance meeting with the unnamed narrator starts a firm friendship. It is here that "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and, hence, Dupin's legacy begin.
"The Murders in the Rue Morgue," a Mystery Unsolvable to Anyone but Detective Auguste Dupin
Together, the unnamed narrator and Dupin spend most their time reading or analyzing the world they have shut out. However, when a newspaper chronicles the unsolved murders of Madame L'Espanaye and her daughter, Dupin's intellectual mind cannot resist the challenge presented by them.
Further, Dupin's acquaintance has been imprisoned for the crimes. With no experience in crime solving or police work, Dupin offers his services to the local police prefect for the sake of his own amusement, confident in his ability to deduct what the police could not.
Dupin begins his investigation with a thorough review of the Gazette des Tribunaux, a Parisian newspaper. From it, he learns the location and condition of the bodies as well as the extent of the police's investigation.
The newspaper also discloses that several witnesses rushed to the scene upon hearing shrieks from inside Madame L'Espanaye's home. Each witness gives an account of what he or she saw and heard. Upon prying open the gate, they rushed in, but the screaming had already stopped. As they climbed the stairs, many of the witnesses heard two voices arguing. They agree that one voice was that of a Frenchman, but no two witnesses agree as to the language of the second voice.
With the prefect's consent, Dupin and the narrator head to L'Espanaye's home in the Rue Morgue. From a detailed review of the crime scene, Dupin determines the manner of entry and the methodology of the killer. Finding non-human hair and noting the superhuman strength necessary to achieve the homicides and, in particular, the concealment of the Mademoiselle L'Espanaye's corpse, Dupin confirms his suspicions — that the murderer is not human!
Surmising the culprit to be an "Ourang-Outang of the East Indian Islands" (presumably an orangutan), Dupin places an advertisement in a local newspaper to effectuate the return of the animal to its owner. When the owner comes looking for the beast, Dupin is ready with gun in hand. Thus confronted, the owner confesses the animal's crimes.
Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue"
Is C. Auguste Dupin truly a genius? Poe, through Dupin, is quick to criticize the investigatory techniques and mental acumen of the Paris police force. However, what inner-city Paris police officer, or any city officer for that matter, would suspect a large Asian primate running loose in a European city? Not to mention, it's 19th century Paris! The police don't exactly have high-tech lab equipment and DNA samples to work with.
With that said, Dupin is able to solve the crime where others cannot. He does so through thorough observation, deductive reasoning, and logical assumption, even if that logical assumption results in the conclusion that an orange monkey is terrorizing his not-so-beloved Paris.
Thus, Dupin is literature's first "detective." With "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," fiction gained a new genre, the detective story. Poe continued the genre with two later C. Auguste Dupin tales, "The Mystery of Marie Roget" and "The Purloined Letter."
Jason Parent - Jason Parent earned his Bachelor's Degree in English in 2000 and his Juris Doctorate in 2006. He currently works as an attorney with a ...
