Characters
Who is the detective that solves the case in The Murders in the Rue Morgue?
C. Auguste Dupin?
What newspaper drew Dupin’s attention to the murder case?
Gazette des Tribunaux
What created an air of mystery when the house was first entered?
the complete silence after the violent screams?
In what city does the story take place?
Paris
Which literary device is primarily used to describe Dupin’s method of solving the crime?
deduction or analytical reasoning
* Daily Double
Who is the narrator of the story?
an unnamed friend of Dupin
What do witnesses claim to have heard during the crime?
two voices arguing, one gruff and the other shrill
What detail about the room where the murders occurred shocked everyone?
the chaotic state of the room, with furniture overturned and blood everywhere
What is the name of the street where the murders took place?
Rue Morgue
What is a major theme in The Murders in the Rue Morgue?
the theme of the triumph of logic and reason over mystery
Who were the two victims of the murders?
Madame L'Espanaye and her daughter, Mademoiselle Camille L’Espanaye
How did the witnesses describe the foreign voice?
They could not identify the language but described it as harsh or shrill, not French
*Daily Double
What was strange about the locked room where the murders occurred?
the door was locked from the inside, with no apparent way for the murderer to escape
In which specific room of the house was Mademoiselle Camille L'Espanaye’s body found?
the chimney
How does Poe create a gothic atmosphere in the story?
by using dark, eerie settings, and grotesque descriptions of the murders
What is the name of the person who was initially suspected of the murders?
Adolphe Le Bon?
What evidence did Dupin use to deduce that an animal was involved in the murders?
the unusual strength needed to stuff the body up the chimney and the foreign hair found at the scene?
What was the most puzzling clue about the voices heard during the murder?
none of the witnesses could identify the language of the shrill voice
What time of night were the residents of the Quartier St. Roch awoken by the shrieks?
3:00 AM
What literary genre is The Murders in the Rue Morgue credited with originating?
detective fiction genre
Who was the real perpetrator of the murders?
an orangutan
How did Dupin track down the owner of the orangutan?
by placing an advertisement about a lost animal in the newspaper
How does the story maintain suspense until the reveal of the murderer?
by misleading the reader into thinking a human committed the crime, with confusing and horrifying details
What unusual object was found in the small courtyard behind the house?
Madame L’Espanaye’s decapitated body
How does the story reflect Edgar Allan Poe’s fascination with psychology?
through Dupin’s focus on understanding the human mind and behavior to solve the mystery