"The Multiple Murders in "Ligeia
A New Look at Poe's Narrator
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8895653 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Terrence J Matheson (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1982 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 279-290 |
| Publication date | 1982-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Canadian Review of American Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-7720 • E-ISSN: 1710-114X |
| Publisher | University of Toronto Press Inc. (UTPress) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.3138/cras-013-03-01 |
| OpenAlex | W2084257767 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 1 |
Poe's contention that "Ligeia" was his "best tale"1 is difficult to justify if we read it on the literal level alone, as certain critics suggest we should.2 The story is not, after all, sufficiently complex in terms of plot to set it quali- tatively apart from other Poe stories such as "Berenice" or "Morella." Nor does the tale, considered as a horror story pure and simple, possess characteristics which make it obviously better than "The Black Cat," "The Fall of the House of Usher," or even "The Pit and. the Pendulum." Indeed, when considered from this standpoint it is difficult not to see the story as flawed. The abruptness of the ending, for instance, leaves us with many issues unresolved. When Usher's house crumbles or when the narrator of "The Black Cat" is exposed, the reader has a clear feeling that in the strict sense of plot at least, nothing more has to be said, for in each case we are given complete packages of information. But in "Ligeia" the reader is presented with a seemingly unfinished story. Surely many readers must feel they have been left hanging in mid-air, in a manner which does nothing to enhance the tale's effect. What actually happened in the concluding sections? Did Ligeia really possess the corpse of Rowena? If so, was the possession of Rowena only temporary, or did Ligeia's spirit remain in her successor's body? What took place immediately following the narrator's apparent conclusion that Ligeia had indeed returned? What are the rea- sons behind the narrator's ensuing years of suffering? All are important
Art · Epistemology · Feeling · Linguistics · Literature · Nothing · Plot (graphics · Possession (linguistics · Simple (philosophy · Successor cardinal · History · Mathematics · Philosophy · Themes in Literature Analysis
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,13 |
| Citation span | 2018 - 2018 (1) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |