Arthur Gordon Pym Of Nantucket Analysis

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The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
Edgar Allan Poe is a well known American poet and writer. He was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts but was raised as a foster child in Richmond, Virginia by John and Frances Allan (Baym 684). His first collection of poems was published in 1827, the same year he moved to Boston and enlisted in the United States Army (“Edgar Allan Poe”). He was influenced by the Romantic literary era at the time, but much of his work is considered as the gothic genre, combining fiction, horror, and romance. Many credit him as the architect of the modern short story and with his focus on the dark side of human nature, he is also known as the inventor of both the detective story and the horror genre …show more content…

He is a young man from a respectable background, telling the story of a horrible sea expedition that he endured with his best friend, Augustus Barnard, who spurred a love for the sea in Pym. Augustus’s father, Captain Barnard, decides to command an expedition to the South Seas on the Grampus, on which Pym is hidden on board for three days, patiently waiting until he can safely reveal himself to the captain and crew. Poe describes dark and dangerous conditions on board the vessel with lighter moments such as when Pym finds out that his beloved dog has managed to sneak on board the boat. Augustus Bernard used the dog to send a cryptic message to Pym, telling him that there had been a mutiny on board where the captain and most of the crew were killed. Pym describes the horror of the antagonistic mutineers and the savagery amongst otherwise civilized people. The only “good” mutineer was a half-Native American man named Dirk Peters who concocted a plan to take back the ship with Pym and Augustus. They kill everyone except for one mutineer, Richard Parker, whose life, later, was taken to feed the others due to hunger and dehydration. In the second half of the novel, Pym and Peters were rescued by Captain Guy, and landed on a tropical island where they were met by natives who appeared trustworthy and friendly at first, but then turned on them, killing the whole crew and blowing …show more content…

What this implies is that, Pym was knowledgeable of God and he prayed to Him in times of need, however, God is not particularly the center of the story. [2] “It is with extreme reluctance that I dwell upon the appalling scene which ensued; a scene which, with its minutest details, no after events have been able to efface in the slightest degree from my memory, and whose stern recollection will embitter every future moment of my existence.” (107) This quote is taken from the moment before Pym starts to inform the reader about the cannibalism that took place between the four men. He clearly states that, what happened on board the Grampus is something that has never left his memory and that has scarred him forever. It even pains him to write and tell about the terrible incident. [3] “Before anyone condemn me for this apparent heartlessness, let him be placed in a situation precisely similar to my own.” (108) This quote shows the vulnerability that Pym had, sharing the thoughts that came into his mind during a life and death situation. He asks the audience to not judge him for those thoughts, until they are put into a similar situation. [4] “Thus, in my

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