Identifier

30

Date

2014

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Major

English

Committee Member

Donal Harris

Committee Member

Theron Britt

Abstract

The Soul that Vexes Itself: The Philosophy of Poe's Perverseness argues that the dominant mode of reading Poe's fiction through a psychological framework overlooks the philosophical problems that his texts raise. This oversight is particularly true in regard to Poe's conception of "perverseness," which emerges in several stories as a legitimate ethical, and ultimately spiritual, phenomenon. This essay looks at the two clearest instances of perverseness in Poe's writing, "The Black Cat," and "The Imp of the Perverse," to expose the philosophical ambitions of Poe's short stories as opposed to reading them as examples of psychological deviance. Special attention is given to Poe's careful use of philosophical language as well as his persistent reference to moral authority. Perverseness is related to Poe's life, works, and aesthetic theory in order to determine the author's purpose for philosophizing in literature.

Comments

Undergraduate Honor's Thesis

Library Comment

Honors thesis originally submitted to the Local University of Memphis Honor’s Thesis Repository.

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