"The Purloined Letter" & The Great Gatsby

A recurring theme in American literature is the importance of the individual and of individuality, and the American character is seen as unique in that the individual is able to tap inner resources allowing a singular view of the world and enabling the individual to overcome great obstacles. However, there is a duality to the image presented of what might be called the intuitive ability of the individual in fiction. Imagination is seen in some ways as empowering, as giving the individual greater capabilities than are possessed by others. At the same time, the imagination can be seen as inducing illusion so that the individual fails to see reality. These two aspects of the American imagination can be seen in the characters of Auguste Dupin in Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Purloined Letter," in which the character uses imagination to achieve success, and in the character of Jay Gatsby in the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, in which the character is seduced by illusion.

In "The Purloined Letter," Poe creates a story of ratiocination, presenting a mystery which reason alone has been unable to solve. The usual methods of police logic have failed, and C. Auguste Dupin is asked to lend his expertise to finding the stolen letter. In the introductory scene, the Prefect of Police tells Dupin how they have already searched the rooms of the thief, Minister D---, and how the letter was not found. It is made clear that the search has been most thorough, inclu

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ss of the accepted and even elevated aspect of the society in which he lives. Gatsby does not see the falseness of this social milieu and aspires to be part of it, and at the same time he is alienated from that society. The character of Gatsby is somewhat enigmatic, especially as perceived by other characters in the novel, and he is illuminated by his interactions with other characters who represent different aspects of the society to which he aspires. Gatsby is central to the novel that bears his name, and yet his consciousness is not the one through which the story is told. The story is told through the eyes of Nick Carraway, and how Carraway relates to Gatsby is especially important for what it conveys to the reader and for what it says about Gatsby as a person. Gatsby represents elements of American life in the period between the two World Wars, and the contrasts between him and other characters bring out different aspects of the time period and of American life. Gatsby interacts with the people of West Egg, but his experiences are seen through the eyes of Nick Carraway and not through his own consciousness. This leaves Gatsby more mysterious as a character. In the early part of the novel, Fitzgerald uses uncertainty

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