19-22 September 2018
From 19 to 22 September we had a series of guest lecture by Dr. Jay Mehta on Edgar Allan Poe's Short Stories. He had taught us six stories with critical point of view.
1. The Tell- Tale heart
2. The Black Cat
3. The Fall of the House of Usher
4. The Cask of Amontillado
5. The Purloined Letter
6. The Gold Bug
Poe as a writer
i) Singularity of giving effect
ii) No use of useless words
iii) Father of detective stories
iv) Genre of shortness
Poe was a successful writer of horror, terror and detective stories. To understand the background of Poe's suspense and terrifying stories, Sir has given us Pre-thinking task in which we have given answers to the five common but deep questions. Here given the blog link of that task:-
https://hemagoswami.blogspot.com/2018/09/pre-thinking-activity-reflecting-life.html?m=1
Freudian Theory of Id, Ego and Superego
Freudian theory of Id, Ego and Superego is much beneficial in understanding Poe's short stories. Mostly Poe has discussed about the conscious or unconscious desire of human being which leads towards the most dangerous event of life, which drives so much crazy that a person starts thinking about murdering someone, and surprisingly they like to kill people, and found pleasure in it.
Id, Ego and Superego in relation with dreams-
When a person was in dream then his/her oppressed desires came out from the layers of Ego and Superego. When we are in conscious state then these oppressed desire cannot came out. Normal people have equilibrium between these three terms, but abnormal people doesn't have.
The Tell- Tale Heart
Madness-
The story is about madness of a person over blue eyes. In this story an Old man has blue eyes which was exactly looks like vulture's eyes.
Over acuteness of senses-
The murderer who murdered an old man has over acuteness of senses. He can feel or hear something very better. After killing an old man, he has cut down the body into pieces and buried it under the house, didn't left any clue. Someone heard the voice of an old man and called Police, therefore police arrived in the meantime and murderer put his chair over the place where he has buried that old fellow. He started hearing the sound of heartbeats, and thinks that it was of that old man, it makes him fearful.
Contradiction-
The character is very much contradicting with his own thoughts, at one side he is saying that he is nervous and on the other side proves his confidence by welcoming police. He first says that he is not mad, and also proves his point that which qualities he possess which didn't come under madness.
Crafty words-
The protagonist used the word 'project' for his act of murder, it seems very positive word used for negative purpose which shows the craftsmanship of the protagonist of justifying his act.
Cold blooded murderer-
The protagonist is cold blooded murderer, he doesn't feel bad or any kind of hesitation after killing helpless old man, and cut down the body parts into pieces with ease.
Split personality-
It seems that the protagonist have split personality, because at day time he is serving the old man and remains loyal for his duty. But at night time shows totally opposite character of himself, full of revenge motives or hatredness.
Poetic Justice-
Poe as a writer is successful in giving poetic justice at the end of the stories, where the criminal accept that he has done crime. Even Poe has justified the act of a murder by giving answers to all doubt. He has given answer that why the criminal is doing crime, for what reasons he is doing.
The Black Cat
Symbolic meaning of black colour-
Symbolically black colour represents something bad or related to bad omen. It was always seen as something bad or unlucky. Things which possess this colour are neglected by society. The same is the case with the black cat which never seen as good. It represent evil thing. In this story the wife also raised once a question about having black cat as their pet.
Series of household events-
This story seems like a series of household events.
Ignorance-
The pet cat ignores the master and that hurts the ego of him, so that he has decided to take revenge for avoidance. It seems unfair or cruel. But all characters of Poe stories possess over reacting nature at small things. This protagonist does the same and punished the cat for avoiding him. He has cut down the eyes of cat and from next day it seems more horrible creature. Now cat has started to ignoring him in fear. At last man hanged the cat with a tree.
Burden of soul-
As the killer was habituated or fond of cats, or may be he wants to release his burden of soul of killing the first cat, that's why he bought another cat as his pet. This second cat is totally different from the first one and used to wander here and there, do not go closer to the master. At last he has killed the second cat also. Now it seems like its becomes his habit to overcome his rage on innocent cats.
The Fall of the House of Usher
Singularity of effect-
Poe's has begins his story with so many negative words which shows the singularity of effect like, dull, dark, soundless, autumn, oppressively low, dreary track of country,melancholy etc. Melancholy is the main characteristics of Poe's short stories. There always remains the sense of insufferable gloom.
Negative aura-
Everything in this universe consists some kind of aura, some have negative and some have positive. In this story the house of Usher brings negative aura for the narrator. It seems like a mansion of gloom.
Hallucination or reality-
The narrator struck between the idea that whether this haunted house is his hallucination or a reality. He is not believing in a way about the fearful appearance of the mansion.
Gothic Fiction-
We can find all the characteristics of Gothic fiction in the story like gloomy atmosphere, haunted castle, ambience, sensational and supernatural occurrence, macabre, terror, melodramatically violent etc.
Catalepsy-
In this story Madeline the sister of Roderick is suffering from catalepsy. She was buried inside the house by Roderick and the narrator. They both believes that she was dead, but in actual she was not. At the end she was comes out of her grave and falls down on her brother Roderick. Then Roderick dies in shock of seeing his sister alive, and haunted by the idea about ghost of his sister.
Inverted image of house-
It is really very symbolic, as from the very beginning when the narrator enters into the house saw the inverted image into the reflection in pond nearby it. And at the end this turns out real, as the house fall down after the death of Roderick and becomes inverted. The narrator escapes himself and flee away from the house.
Pre-conceived effect-
Poe has used the preconceived effect as every words of the story creates a specific atmosphere..
The Cask of Amontillado
Well planned Murder-
This story is totally different from the previous three stories, It is about a well planned murderer Montresor who has killed Fortunato to take revenge of his insult.
Symbolic name-
The name 'Fortunato' symbolically represent fortune, but here he is the unluckiest one who was stoned by his friend Montresor.
Hubris-
Fortunato is the master of tasting good wines and because of his hubris(excessive pride) he accept the challenge of tasting the great wine Amontillado. His Hubris leads towards his own downfall by not allowing anyone else to taste it.
Weakness-
Montresor was aware about the weakness of his friend. That's why he took the advantage of it and trowel him alive.
Positive word for negative work-
In this story the killer used the word 'task' for his evil deed. It was really very unusual to use 'task' for murdering someone.
Dramatic Irony-
When both the friends are cheering up, satirically Montresor cheers for long life of Fortunato, however he himself is going to end his life with well planned murder act. This reflects the dramatic irony of the story.
Passive resistance theory-
Montresor used passive resistance theory to trap Fortunato, so that he will definitely accept the challenge of tasting good wine or founding the best. He very well knows that if he directly calls Fortunato, he may refused, therefore used the trick of passive resitance in which he provoked Fortunato with his curved words.
The Purloined Letter
Similar with detective series of Sherlock Holmes-
The story Purloined letter, revolves around the secret letter in which something disastrous is written which can affect the life of a minister, so that he has stolen it from the desk of a lady. This detective story is like the Sherlock Holmes series, in which the detective possess extraordinary smartness and his story of bravery was narrated by someone else, who is in a way connected with the detective.
Intellectual culprit-
The story presents intellectual culprit, the minister who is very much smart and smartly stolen the letter from the desk of lady without any fear, with ease, And the lady also becomes voiceless, even knowing that the letter is get exchanged with the fake letter which was bring by the minster. She doesn't spoke any word in fear that the minister will check that what was written on it.
Hubris of Police-
The lady hired Police to get the letter back from the minister's house. But because of hubris police inspector din't search at the knowable place where nothing secret or important document could be placed. The mistake that he has done is, underestimate the culprit.
Process-
In most of the Poe's stories, questions like who has done the crime?, for what reason? are already solved. He only describes the process of how the act or the crime was done. Same thing was there in the story, who has stolen, for what reason already solved, but how the detective Dubin search the letter is described.
The Gold Bug
Cryptography-
It is the process of converting simple plain text into unintelligible text and vice versa. Same thing happens in the story when two friends Legrand and Jupiter finds something written in a hidden way under the crisp paper in the form of a golden bug, they realised the text when they throws it into the fire.
Search for treasure-
The search for treasure begins after knowing the route on the letter. It was really very common archetypal story in which there is search for underground treasure on the basis of the clues.
Example- It can be connected with the film 'Dhamaal', in which four funniest character search for treasure under the tree of 'W' shape in Goa.
Partial use of humour-
Poe has used humour by presenting the character of Jupiter. Extraordinary people are always mocked by the people, here is the case with Jupiter. Poe has make thin line between the demarcation of insanity and sanity. In society mainly all intellectual person are treated as insane.
This was the brief report of the three days guest lecture about Jay Mehta sir's reflective teaching. He has also solved the question bank at the end by giving us basic points. It was really very fruitful or beneficial to attend three days guest lecture at our Department of English.
From 19 to 22 September we had a series of guest lecture by Dr. Jay Mehta on Edgar Allan Poe's Short Stories. He had taught us six stories with critical point of view.
1. The Tell- Tale heart
2. The Black Cat
3. The Fall of the House of Usher
4. The Cask of Amontillado
5. The Purloined Letter
6. The Gold Bug
Poe as a writer
i) Singularity of giving effect
ii) No use of useless words
iii) Father of detective stories
iv) Genre of shortness
Poe was a successful writer of horror, terror and detective stories. To understand the background of Poe's suspense and terrifying stories, Sir has given us Pre-thinking task in which we have given answers to the five common but deep questions. Here given the blog link of that task:-
https://hemagoswami.blogspot.com/2018/09/pre-thinking-activity-reflecting-life.html?m=1
Freudian Theory of Id, Ego and Superego
Freudian theory of Id, Ego and Superego is much beneficial in understanding Poe's short stories. Mostly Poe has discussed about the conscious or unconscious desire of human being which leads towards the most dangerous event of life, which drives so much crazy that a person starts thinking about murdering someone, and surprisingly they like to kill people, and found pleasure in it.
Id, Ego and Superego in relation with dreams-
When a person was in dream then his/her oppressed desires came out from the layers of Ego and Superego. When we are in conscious state then these oppressed desire cannot came out. Normal people have equilibrium between these three terms, but abnormal people doesn't have.
The Tell- Tale Heart
Madness-
The story is about madness of a person over blue eyes. In this story an Old man has blue eyes which was exactly looks like vulture's eyes.
Over acuteness of senses-
The murderer who murdered an old man has over acuteness of senses. He can feel or hear something very better. After killing an old man, he has cut down the body into pieces and buried it under the house, didn't left any clue. Someone heard the voice of an old man and called Police, therefore police arrived in the meantime and murderer put his chair over the place where he has buried that old fellow. He started hearing the sound of heartbeats, and thinks that it was of that old man, it makes him fearful.
Contradiction-
The character is very much contradicting with his own thoughts, at one side he is saying that he is nervous and on the other side proves his confidence by welcoming police. He first says that he is not mad, and also proves his point that which qualities he possess which didn't come under madness.
Crafty words-
The protagonist used the word 'project' for his act of murder, it seems very positive word used for negative purpose which shows the craftsmanship of the protagonist of justifying his act.
Cold blooded murderer-
The protagonist is cold blooded murderer, he doesn't feel bad or any kind of hesitation after killing helpless old man, and cut down the body parts into pieces with ease.
Split personality-
It seems that the protagonist have split personality, because at day time he is serving the old man and remains loyal for his duty. But at night time shows totally opposite character of himself, full of revenge motives or hatredness.
Poetic Justice-
Poe as a writer is successful in giving poetic justice at the end of the stories, where the criminal accept that he has done crime. Even Poe has justified the act of a murder by giving answers to all doubt. He has given answer that why the criminal is doing crime, for what reasons he is doing.
The Black Cat
Symbolic meaning of black colour-
Symbolically black colour represents something bad or related to bad omen. It was always seen as something bad or unlucky. Things which possess this colour are neglected by society. The same is the case with the black cat which never seen as good. It represent evil thing. In this story the wife also raised once a question about having black cat as their pet.
Series of household events-
This story seems like a series of household events.
Ignorance-
The pet cat ignores the master and that hurts the ego of him, so that he has decided to take revenge for avoidance. It seems unfair or cruel. But all characters of Poe stories possess over reacting nature at small things. This protagonist does the same and punished the cat for avoiding him. He has cut down the eyes of cat and from next day it seems more horrible creature. Now cat has started to ignoring him in fear. At last man hanged the cat with a tree.
Burden of soul-
As the killer was habituated or fond of cats, or may be he wants to release his burden of soul of killing the first cat, that's why he bought another cat as his pet. This second cat is totally different from the first one and used to wander here and there, do not go closer to the master. At last he has killed the second cat also. Now it seems like its becomes his habit to overcome his rage on innocent cats.
The Fall of the House of Usher
Singularity of effect-
Poe's has begins his story with so many negative words which shows the singularity of effect like, dull, dark, soundless, autumn, oppressively low, dreary track of country,melancholy etc. Melancholy is the main characteristics of Poe's short stories. There always remains the sense of insufferable gloom.
Negative aura-
Everything in this universe consists some kind of aura, some have negative and some have positive. In this story the house of Usher brings negative aura for the narrator. It seems like a mansion of gloom.
Hallucination or reality-
The narrator struck between the idea that whether this haunted house is his hallucination or a reality. He is not believing in a way about the fearful appearance of the mansion.
Gothic Fiction-
We can find all the characteristics of Gothic fiction in the story like gloomy atmosphere, haunted castle, ambience, sensational and supernatural occurrence, macabre, terror, melodramatically violent etc.
Catalepsy-
In this story Madeline the sister of Roderick is suffering from catalepsy. She was buried inside the house by Roderick and the narrator. They both believes that she was dead, but in actual she was not. At the end she was comes out of her grave and falls down on her brother Roderick. Then Roderick dies in shock of seeing his sister alive, and haunted by the idea about ghost of his sister.
Inverted image of house-
It is really very symbolic, as from the very beginning when the narrator enters into the house saw the inverted image into the reflection in pond nearby it. And at the end this turns out real, as the house fall down after the death of Roderick and becomes inverted. The narrator escapes himself and flee away from the house.
Pre-conceived effect-
Poe has used the preconceived effect as every words of the story creates a specific atmosphere..
The Cask of Amontillado
Well planned Murder-
This story is totally different from the previous three stories, It is about a well planned murderer Montresor who has killed Fortunato to take revenge of his insult.
Symbolic name-
The name 'Fortunato' symbolically represent fortune, but here he is the unluckiest one who was stoned by his friend Montresor.
Hubris-
Fortunato is the master of tasting good wines and because of his hubris(excessive pride) he accept the challenge of tasting the great wine Amontillado. His Hubris leads towards his own downfall by not allowing anyone else to taste it.
Weakness-
Montresor was aware about the weakness of his friend. That's why he took the advantage of it and trowel him alive.
Positive word for negative work-
In this story the killer used the word 'task' for his evil deed. It was really very unusual to use 'task' for murdering someone.
Dramatic Irony-
When both the friends are cheering up, satirically Montresor cheers for long life of Fortunato, however he himself is going to end his life with well planned murder act. This reflects the dramatic irony of the story.
Passive resistance theory-
Montresor used passive resistance theory to trap Fortunato, so that he will definitely accept the challenge of tasting good wine or founding the best. He very well knows that if he directly calls Fortunato, he may refused, therefore used the trick of passive resitance in which he provoked Fortunato with his curved words.
The Purloined Letter
Similar with detective series of Sherlock Holmes-
The story Purloined letter, revolves around the secret letter in which something disastrous is written which can affect the life of a minister, so that he has stolen it from the desk of a lady. This detective story is like the Sherlock Holmes series, in which the detective possess extraordinary smartness and his story of bravery was narrated by someone else, who is in a way connected with the detective.
Intellectual culprit-
The story presents intellectual culprit, the minister who is very much smart and smartly stolen the letter from the desk of lady without any fear, with ease, And the lady also becomes voiceless, even knowing that the letter is get exchanged with the fake letter which was bring by the minster. She doesn't spoke any word in fear that the minister will check that what was written on it.
Hubris of Police-
The lady hired Police to get the letter back from the minister's house. But because of hubris police inspector din't search at the knowable place where nothing secret or important document could be placed. The mistake that he has done is, underestimate the culprit.
Process-
In most of the Poe's stories, questions like who has done the crime?, for what reason? are already solved. He only describes the process of how the act or the crime was done. Same thing was there in the story, who has stolen, for what reason already solved, but how the detective Dubin search the letter is described.
The Gold Bug
Cryptography-
It is the process of converting simple plain text into unintelligible text and vice versa. Same thing happens in the story when two friends Legrand and Jupiter finds something written in a hidden way under the crisp paper in the form of a golden bug, they realised the text when they throws it into the fire.
Search for treasure-
The search for treasure begins after knowing the route on the letter. It was really very common archetypal story in which there is search for underground treasure on the basis of the clues.
Example- It can be connected with the film 'Dhamaal', in which four funniest character search for treasure under the tree of 'W' shape in Goa.
Partial use of humour-
Poe has used humour by presenting the character of Jupiter. Extraordinary people are always mocked by the people, here is the case with Jupiter. Poe has make thin line between the demarcation of insanity and sanity. In society mainly all intellectual person are treated as insane.
This was the brief report of the three days guest lecture about Jay Mehta sir's reflective teaching. He has also solved the question bank at the end by giving us basic points. It was really very fruitful or beneficial to attend three days guest lecture at our Department of English.
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