Vehicle of the bizarre: Narrative power and depiction of loss of innocence in selected short fiction of Edgar Allan Poe

The purpose of this study is to identify and articulate a common narrative formula found in a selection of the fictional works of Edgar Allan Poe and to argue its significance in terms of reader influence and reception. The methodology of this study involves systematic analysis of representative works authored by Poe, including short stories and essays, in order to establish the existence and effect of the formula. Its effect is further demonstrated by a subsequent examination of secondary sources, consisting largely of printed works and academic articles, which discuss documented and corroborating elements of Poe’s technique, as well as the reception of Poe’s work in both French and English cultures over time, in addition to American culture. By way of reviewing the original works and the supporting secondary scholarship in these areas, this thesis endeavors to prove the existence and value of one of Poe’s rarely discussed methods of narrative control.