The Murders In The Rue Morgue Analysis

Did you know that there are 13 different scientists who have an element on the Periodic Table named for them? Without this one common accomplishment, the public would have considered these no-longer-famous people to be worthless: all of these chemists made a discovery that required them to think outside the box with the power of the mind. The power of the mind is a proven trait in numerous individuals and is required for many occupations. It even stretches into literature, in which every detective story contains an intelligent and ingenious detective and an assistant who together solve a thrilling mystery. In Edgar Allan Poe’s revolutionary detective novella, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”, the power of the mind is the central theme. This …show more content…
A French sailor uses a whip to attempt to capture the orangutan after he escapes from his clutches. The orangutan realizes that he is being tortured and runs away until he the light in the chamber of Madame L’Espanaye attracts him. Upon finding the light, he “clambered up with inconceivable agility, grasped the shutter, which is thrown fully back against the wall, and, by its means, swung itself directly upon the headboard of the bed” (39). He then murders the two women he finds in the apartment. Although the orangutan may seem to be a lunatic, he is truly utilizing the power of the mind. He reacts to the sound of a whip, hypothesizing it is the sailor whipping him and finding that there is a light in the chamber. He reacts by connecting these thoughts and hiding in the L’Espanaye chamber. Also, he expresses fear because he is afraid of getting hurt by the sailor. As a result, he runs away from the whip, requiring the power of the mind. He also expresses another emotion - grief - because he realizes the consequences of his actions of murdering the two women. As a reaction, he throws the elder out of the window and the younger in the chimney. This requires the power of the mind because cognitive thinking is needed to lie and grieve for actions. Furthermore, the orangutan throws a bed across a room when the orangutan is substantially smaller than the bed; the orangutan races through the room after his crime. He searches through a chest of drawers and leaves Here the orangutan boasts the mental and physical ability to throw a bed across a room, rifle through “the drawers of a bureau” (12), and leave objects of value, such as “two bags, containing nearly four thousand francs in gold” (11), on the floor. He accomplishes such actions in order to hide from the police and the sailor. He does not want to get caught, arrested, or