The reception of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym was marred by significant misinterpretation upon its initial release. Many reviewers, focusing too literally on its content, misguidedly labeled it as an attempt to deceive readers. However, with time, the narrative has been reevaluated and is now regarded as a profound exploration of human experience and the nature of reality.

Initial Reception and Misinterpretation

When The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym was first published, it was met with skepticism and misunderstanding. Critics who expected a straightforward travel narrative accused Poe of attempting to mislead the public, not recognizing it as a parody of contemporary voyage literature. Despite this initial backlash, the work found a more appreciative audience across the Atlantic. In Great Britain, the narrative was treated as a detailed account of a real expedition, allowing it to enjoy some success and go through two editions.

French Recognition and Influence

The French were the first to discern the narrative’s deeper artistic value. Charles Baudelaire, a seminal French poet, recognized the tale’s brilliance and translated it in 1858, characterizing it as an extraordinary romance of adventure. This translation marked a pivotal shift, as France began to appreciate The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym not merely as a story of adventure but as an important work of art.

American Neglect and Rediscovery

In America, however, the narrative languished in obscurity for many years. Aside from a fleeting mention by Henry James in his novel The Golden Bowl—where he praised it as a "wonderful tale"—the work was largely ignored. It wasn’t until 1950 that it gained renewed attention, thanks to poet and critic W. H. Auden, who included it in his anthology Edgar Allan Poe: Selected Prose, Poetry, and Eureka. Auden’s recognition of the narrative as one of Poe’s most significant works helped to revitalize interest in it.

Academic Reappraisal

Following its inclusion in Auden’s anthology, academia began to take notice. In 1952, Patrick F. Quinn highlighted the narrative’s intricate patterns of deception and revolt. Marie Bonaparte’s earlier psychoanalytical interpretation had already suggested the story symbolized a "passionate and frenzied search for the Mother," adding a layer of Freudian analysis to its meaning. Philosopher Gaston Bachelard further enriched the discourse by describing the narrative as a profound exploration stemming from Poe’s deepest psychological core, referring to it as “one of the great books of the human heart."

Philosophical and Symbolic Explorations

Edward Davidson provided a philosophical lens, viewing the story as a commentary on nature's deceptive and destructive tendencies. He posited that the narrative depicts a quest to uncover the axis of reality, where one’s pursuit of truth leads to a realization of illusion and the fragility of self-identity. Quinn, Davidson, and others laid the groundwork for extensive future studies exploring the narrative’s complex themes.

Thematic and Structural Analysis

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym embodies Poe’s philosophical musings on the relationship between the self, nature, and the universe. It challenges readers to consider a psychic journey towards self-discovery. Scholars have delved into its narrative structure, examining the diverse narrative voices and their tones, narrative unity, and the use of satire and irony. The narrative’s truncated conclusion and its symbolic use of colors—white, black, and red—have also been topics of discussion, along with the interplay of illusion and reality and empirical versus intuitive knowledge.

Questions of Language and Meaning

Critics have been intrigued by how Poe interrogates the reliability of language and the uncertainty of human existence. This exploration raises fundamental questions about whether language can adequately convey meaning and if human life is governed by chance and uncertainty. The ambiguous conclusion, featuring a mysterious white figure, prompts speculations about its symbolic significance and the broader themes of racial identity and the preference of written word over spoken language.