REASON VS. IRRATIONALITY: A STUDY OF LOGIC AND MADNESS IN EDGAR ALLAN POE’S THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE

Abstract

The research paper undertakes a critical and in-depth analysis of the complex relationship between logic and madness in Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’ (1841), which is considered to have given root to modern detective fiction. A core character in this novel is C. Auguste Dupin, whose remarkable observations and deductive powers enable him to crack a seemingly incomprehensible case. Dupin’s methodical mind is a perfect epitomization of rationality and rational thinking. He is able to deduce and infer from the information and clues he gathers around a heinous crime. On the other hand, madness is highly evident in terms of violence and irrationality in ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’, particularly through the character of the Orangutan. Its savage and irrational actions symbolize disorder and irrationality in contrast to rational thinking and actions attributed to Dupin. Through the application of qualitative text analysis, the present study aims at exploring the mechanics of the story’s structure, the psychological characteristics of the characters depicted, the symbolic significance, and the innovative contribution offered by Poe in the genre of detective fiction with the help of multiple secondary sources, academic publications, scholarly journals, internet sources, showing the drama representation featuring logic with the emotional connotations attached with madness, only to arrive at the conclusion that while logic plays the key role in solving the mystery with the degree of order being restored, Poe at the same time emphasizes the inability of human logic with the unpredictability attached with everything that we experience as the dual character; order/chaos.