The "Unit Of Effect" In Allen Poe's Short Stories

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) has been considered one of the most unique writers in the United States. What is also beyond doubt is Poe's greatness in literary criticism. He wrote so many literary reviews and essays that they can actually form up a system of his peculiar views on literary creation.What has become the core idea in his criticism of fiction and verse is that quality work should be brief and focus on a specific "unity of effect". In his famous review of Nathaniel Hawthorne which illustrates large part of his views on short story writing, Poe expressed that "in almost all classes of composition, the unity of effect or impression is a point of the greatest importance." According to Poe, the theme or plot of the composition is always subordinate to the author's deliberate construction of a single, intense effect caused in the reader's mind, be it melancholy, suspense, or horror. Hence, the unity, or totality of effect should be of utmost importance in the process of composition. With the unity of effect as the guideline or the destination of the context, all other components become the media or passages through which the reader is able to be thrilled by the context.This thesis mainly focuses on the embodiment of Poe's critical perspective the unity of effect in his short stories through the analysis of his representative short tales. At the beginning of the first chapter, Poe's famous theory on "the unity of effect" is introduced. Then the major effect of each kind of Poe's short stories is closely studied. The second chapter probes into the unity of effect by analyzing the effective themes of Poe's representative works. Embodying the core idea the author wants to convey through the context, themes are particularly important in the bringing out of the unity of effect. The third chapter explores the effectiveness of the setting in the construction of the unity of effect. In the last chapter, characters, from the first person narrator to the major characters, are proved to be indispensable part to achieve the unity of effect. Finally the thesis concludes that in order to achieve his effect, Allan Poe tries to employ every artistic means and adopt every single detail. That explains why his works always have a charm which immerses the reader in a particular effect these works provoke.Being the core idea of Poe's literary theory, the unity of effect no doubt is the standard and guideline of his short stories. The essential purpose of his tales is to shock the reader with elaborate design of each fictional element. To study Poe's literary view "the unity of effect" and especially its embodiment in his short stories can help further understand both his theory with his works.