Topic: Edgar Allan Poe

Paper details:

• To place an author’s work in their relevant social, historical and cultural context.
• To trace the development of the author’s style or “-ism” from its roots to its legacy. To study, in great detail, the trajectory of the author’s work
• To do a “close reading” of his or her literary works; to focus intently on the details, symbolism, allusions, and any significant and consistent figurative language.
Use the short stories, "The Masque of the Red Death", "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Cask of Amontillado", and "The Black Cat".
The only thesis thus far is "Using the short stories..., Poe constantly reminds us of our mortality and tries to give us insight on the inner-workings of the subconscious when exposed to terror." This can stay the same, be revised, or changed completely if necessary.