A reader’s reflection on The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe, exploring Dupin’s analytical reasoning, intuition, and the origins of detective fiction.
Introduction
The Murders in the Rue Morgue is certainly interesting. But the reflection on intuition and analysis at the beginning of the story initially left me in doubt about the validity of the author’s premise. Even before I got to the main part, I doubted whether the narrative would manage to hold my attention.
The Crime at the Center of the Story
The story is of two women, a mother and her daughter, living a quiet life on a side street in Paris, France. They are suddenly and brutally murdered, seemingly, after encashing a large sum of money.
However, as the story progresses slowly and gradually from conjecture towards actual analysis of the case, Poe almost made me a believer.
I say almost, not because I doubt the line of reasoning taken by Dupin, the protagonist, in attempting to solve the case. The logic certainly seems sound to me as he, after much deliberation, comes to the final solution. My doubts spring from the fact that I wonder if any man is actually capable of such an intense, almost superhuman line of reasoning and the effort it would take to solve a case that seemed so mysteriously unsolvable.
Intuition vs Pure Analysis
To a sharp mind I suppose it would be possible. But the fact is that nowhere in history have I encountered any case of a man of such sharp intellect as to get almost every detail right. If there is such a person, I have not heard of him/her except in stories of fiction, Sherlock Holmes being one of the prime examples.
Intuition and imagination, I believe, must certainly play a part in solving any problem, such as the one the book covers. Even Monsieur Dupin, taking his time in quiet deliberation, could not have relied on pure logic alone without imagination and intuition helping him to solve these murders, even if only to a mild degree.
I rest my case on the fact that this is how all human beings solve their problems. Pure analysis without the aid of imagination and intuition, even if minimally used, is simply impossible.
Poe’s Influence on Detective Fiction
However, to the credit of Edgar Allan Poe, this fascination with analysis certainly does not discredit the story. As a celebrated writer, he knows how to engage the reader with mystery and suspense. Though I do not entirely agree with his line of reasoning in the beginning of the story, I am certainly a fan of his ability to use analysis as the basis for his craft in penning such an intriguing and imaginative tale. It is a story that is said to have inspired other writers of this genre to follow in his footsteps. When comparing it with similar narratives of detective fiction, like those featuring Sherlock Holmes and Father Brown, it is unique in its analysis of the crime. No writer of murder fiction in classic literature that I have ever read has managed to lead and engage the reader with such depth and detail into a case as this one does.
Final Thoughts
This is the first story of Edgar Allan Poe that I have read, and I’m a fan for life already.
So if you haven’t read it already and need a kick in the head to get you thinking, then I encourage you to read it here: https://pereiraclassics.net/product/the-murders-in-the-rue-morgue-by-edgar-allanpoe/
It won’t disappoint.
Happy and engaged reading.