Poe's Pym: Critical ExplorationsRichard Kopley "The interpreter's dream-text," as one critic called Edgar Allan Poe's The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym has prompted critical approaches almost as varied as the experiences it chronicles. This is the first book to deal exclusively with Pym, Poe's longest fictional work and in many ways his most ambitious. Here leading Poe scholars provide solutions and interpretations for many challenging enigmas in this mysterious novel. The product of a decade of research and planning, Poe's "Pym" offers a factual basis for some of the most fantastic elements in the novel and uncovers surprising connections between Poe's text and exploration literature, nautical lore, Arthurian narrative, nineteenth-century journalism, Moby Dick, and other writings. Representing a rich cross-section of current modes of literary study--from source study to psychoanalytic criticism to new historicism--these sixteen essays probe issues such as literary influence, the limits of language, racism, the holocaust, prolonged mourning, and the structure of the human mind. Poe's "Pym" will be an invaluable resource for students of both contemporary criticism and nineteenth-century American culture. Contributors. John Barth, Susan F. Beegel, J. Lasley Dameron, Grace Farrell, Alexander Hammond, David H. Hirsch, John T. Irwin, J. Gerald Kennedy, David Ketterer, Joan Tyler Mead, Joseph J. Moldenhauer, Carol Peirce, Burton R. Pollin, Alexander G. Rose III, John Carlos Rowe, G. R. Thompson, Bruce I. Weiner |
Contents
Introduction Richard Kopley | 1 |
The Globe Mutiny as | 7 |
Mourning in Poes Pym Grace Farrell | 107 |
Poe Antebellum Slavery and Modern Criticism | 117 |
The Case of | 141 |
Decomposing the Textual Body | 167 |
The Quincuncial Network in Poes | 175 |
The Arabesque Design of Arthur Gordon | 188 |
Some Notes on Poes | 217 |
Pym Criticism 19801990 | 233 |
Notes | 275 |
Contributors | 329 |
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American Renaissance Antiquitates Americanae arabesque argues Arthur Gordon Pym Arthurian Augustus Benjamin Morrell Burton chapter Comstock death deconstructive Dictionary Dighton Rock digression dissertation Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Poe episode essay Eureka Falconer's figure Folio Club G. R. Thompson Garden of Cyrus Globe mutiny Goddess Gothic Grail Grampus Harper and Brothers interpretation Irwin island James Kirke Paulding Jane Guy John John Barth Journal journey language letter Melville Moby-Dick mourning myth Mythopoesis Nantucket Narrative of Arthur notes passage pattern Paulding Penguin Poe Studies Poe's Fiction Poe's Narrative Poe's Pym Pollin published Pym criticism Pym's quest quincuncial quincunx Quinn reader reading of Pym Reynolds Richard Kopley Robinson romantic irony sail satiric Schlegel Scoresby ship Southern Literary Messenger story stowage structure suggests symbolic tale Tekeli-li Thomas tion Tsalal unity University Press vessel Vinland vision visionary reading voyage whaleship White Goddess William writing York