The Purloined Letter Elements of Detective Fiction

The short story “The Purloined Letter” is one of the first modern detective stories. It pits the cunning detective, Dupin, against a bafflingly elegant puzzle. Poe’s early “tales of ratiocination” laid the groundwork for later fictional detectives like Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and Nancy Drew.

Many enthusiasts of detective fiction trace its beginnings back to Edgar Allan Poe, and its true flourishing to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his Sherlock Holmes series. The detective fiction genre is characterized by specific characters and themes, and follows a traditional format.

It seems like there is an infinite amount of genres in literature, but in reality, there are only three: Poetry, Drama, and Prose. Students will encounter these genres for most of what they read and write about in school, so it’s important for them to know their key characteristics.