The stories written by Edgar Allan Poe always intrigue and fascinate the reader for various reasons. His “Murders in the Rue Morgue” is a unique narration of how a non-human murderer could disclose serious shortages in criminal investigation and underline the importance of observation and attention to the details. The intrinsically perplexing crime causes the reader to ask a multitude of questions about the seemingly contradictory evidence, a lack of means and motive, and superhuman mutilation; through these complexities, the reader is moved around the chessboard of mystery at the mystery of Dupin – the analyst with all the answers.
When a crime scene is analyzed, people focus on the presence or absence of evidence, and Poe complicates the case by contradictory facts and notes. Using a metaphor of chess frivolity, the author recognizes reflective intellect as a useful tool in detective stories (Poe, 1841). Dupin emphasizes the necessity of using such elements as voice quality or the placements of subjects in the room to prepare the reader for moving another piece on the chessboard.
Despite a lack of motive, police officers prefer to arrest at least someone to demonstrate the effectiveness of their actions. Dupin does not want to follow this questionable and ineffective example and make another decision to remove blunders (Poe, 1841). Most criminals are motivated at least by some personal interests and needs, and the offered situation missed any reasonable or even unreasonable motive.
Finally, examining the murdered bodies reveals non-human mutilations, which should be considered before accusing someone of the crime. The police were paralyzed from the facts, demonstrating Dupin’s success through impartial and analytical attitudes towards the case (Poe, 1841). It is one of the last steps in the chess game that allows finding the true answer.
Human murders turn out to be a symbolic visiting card of Poe’s stories. His evaluation of criminal minds and detectives is unpredictable and tempting. Addressing contradictory evidence, a lack of motive, and inhuman mutilations helps Dupin solve the case. Although his success remains a mystery for other characters, the reader, who observes the whole situation on the chessboard, learns that analytical thinking and no fast conclusions may be enough to reveal a truth.
Reference
Poe, E. A. (1841). The murders in the Rue Morgue. PoeStories. Web.