American Literature and Culture II Handout Lukcs Edit

Poe and Phrenology Ligeia

Phrenology study of the mind Greek word: phreno ! mind lo"os ! knowled"e de#eloped $y %ran& 'oseph Gall ($rain is the source of all mental acti#ity) *+th century: phrenolo"ical thinkin" was influential in psychiatry and modern neuroscience $rain is the or"an of the mind, different $rain areas ha#e different mental faculties

Poe and phrenology at -oe s time phrenolo"y was #alid science -oe was really en"a"ed to this science phrenolo"y had a $i" influence on -oe s workin"s . many of his works was inspired $y it (/he 0urders in the 1ue 0or"ue2 /he 3lack Cat2 /he Imp of the -er#erse2 Li"eia2 4) *56*: -oe wrote a letter too his friend %7 87 /homas: 97 7 7 :peakin" of heads -- my own has $een e;hamined $y se#eral phrenolo"ists -- all of whom spoke of me in a species of e;tra#a"an&a which I should $e ashamed to repeat9 ( <strom2 Letters2 p7 *5=7)

Ligeia *5>52 short story was first pu$lished in the ma"a&ine of the Baltimore American Museum o that #ersion is not the same with the one we know today: the poem The Conqueror Worm (Li"eia s poem which was read out at her death-$ed) was pu$lished in *56> then later incorporated into Ligeia -lot: unnamed narrator is tellin" the story7 He has a $eautiful2 intelli"ent2 ra#en-haired and dark-eyed wife2 called Li"eia7 He lo#es him more than his life7 <ne day she $ecomes ill and soon she dies7 3ecause of her death the narrator $ecomes a dru" addicted7 :oon he "ets married with Lady 1owena /re#anion (he has fair-hair and $lue eyes ? totally the opposite of Li"eia) $ut this marria"e is lo#eless7 At the second month of their marria"e Lady 1owena is taken ill7 <ne ni"ht ne;t to her sick-$ed the narrator "i#es her a "o$let of wine7 In dru""ed condition he sees (or thinks he sees) drops of 9a $rilliant and ru$y colored fluid9 fall into the "o$let7 :oon after that 1owena dies7 In the ni"ht of the #i"il the narrator sits e;hausted when the dead $ody "ets up and walks to the middle of the room7 /he narrator realises that 1owena has transformed into Li"eia7 endin": am$i"uous o -oe lea#es room for the readers . was Li"eia really re$orn or it was only the narrator s hallucination@ mysterious atmosphere with the elements of horror

American Literature and Culture II Handout Lukcs Edit

e7"7: Li"eia herself is a mysterious woman, description of the hallucinations and the illness, reincarnation, $ridal cham$er has penta"onal shape ? = sides . penta"ons and penta"ram refers to the occult world some allusions: Lady 1owena: heroine of :ir 8alter :cott s no#el Ivanhoe (in the end Lady 1owena and I#anhoe marry ? may$e that is the reason that Li"eia was re$orn so finally she and the narrator can $e to"ether) Li"eia: a serene in Greek and 1oman mytholo"y (Aer"il and 'ohn 0ilton had also referred to a siren: Li"ea) o

:ources: http:BBwww7cummin"sstudy"uides7netBGuidesCBLi"eia7html http:BBwww7eapoe7or"B"eninfoBpoemisc7htm