The Final Days of Edgar Allan Poe by Roger Francis

Edgar Allan Poe is regarded as one of the most influential American writers of the nineteenth-century. Poe’s short stories posses the recurring themes of death, murder and his narrators often show signs of mental instability, like the old man in â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† and Montressor in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado†. Since tragedy was prominent throughout Poe’s life, his work reflects the darkness ingrained by continuously being faced with adversity. Poe’s mental stability also comes into question when analyzing his works. The use of his unreliable narrators and their psychological issues present the questions of Poe’s own mental capacity. Because of the tragedy that occurred in Poe’s life, his experiences in life may have been influential on his unreliable narrators and his stories. Edgar Allan Poe was born January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts. His mother, Elizabeth Poe was an actress, but his father, David Poe, Jr., was neither talented or responsible and Poe’s family suffered financially. After Poe’s parents separated, his mother died and he was taken in by wealthy exporter, John Allan. Although Allan was an affectionate foster father, he never legally adopted Poe, which we can assume to Poe using unreliable narrators in his stories. As and adolescent, he began to show signs of rebellion, in his biography, â€Å"I Have Dreamed of Joy Departed† it acknowledges that Allan saw these changes in Poe when he stated that Edgar, â€Å"possess not a Spark of affection for us nor aShow MoreRelatedAmerican Revolution and Study Guide Essay example5377 Words   |  22 PagesAmerica Pocahontas Anne Hutchinson Benjamin Franklin Royal veto John Rolfe Roger Williams George Whitefield Lord Baltimore William Bradford John Peter Zenger Virtual representation Walter Raleigh John Winthrop Paxton boys James Oglethorpe Puritans Triangular trade First Continental Congress John Smith Separatists Molasses Act Sugar Act Francis Drake Pilgrims Scots-Irish Quartering Act William Penn Predestination Louis