The Purloined Letter Group

Question:

daily
daily
Student
High School - 9th Grade

What is the conflict in The Purloined Letter?

What is the problem?

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Posted by daily on Sunday February 15, 2009 at 3:54 PM and tagged with huilk, the purloined letter.

Answers:

  1. parkerlee
    parkerlee Teacher

    eNotes Editor

    The main problem is one of blackmail; a letter containing very damaging personal information about the Royal family has been stolen, and the holder is demanding money - otherwise the contents thereof will be publicly disclosed. It is Auguste Dupin's challege to locate the whereabouts of the letter and "steal it back" in time:

    The reason for the letter's theft is political in nature. The Minister, a political opponent of the Queen's, steals the letter, and holds it hostage. As the Prefect notes, "the power thus attained has, for some months, been wielded, for political purposes, to a very dangerous extent."

    Dupin, who is an acquaintance of the Minister, is also a political ally of the Queen. As he tells the narrator, "You know my political prepossessions. In this matter, I act as a partisan of the lady concerned." This is one of the main reasons why Dupin is willing to get involved with the case and help find the letter.

    The use of abstract logic and rationale to find the letter is very "Sherlockian,"  though written long before Sir Conan Doyle ever breathed life into the famous detective of Baker Street.

    On a more internal level, the conflict of the story is one of sentiment versus reason. Under the duress of blackmail and extreme emotional stress, logic nevertheless prevails. In this respect, see the first enote reference below for further information.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/purloined-letter/critical-essay-pur...
    http://www.enotes.com/purloined-letter/summary

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    Posted by parkerlee on Sunday February 15, 2009 at 11:01 PM