Poe's Short Stories Lesson Plan

How is “The Gold Bug” similar to “The Murders of the Rue Morgue”?

Both stories are detective stories in a way. In “The Gold Bug,” Legrand is trying to figure out the mystery of the hidden treasure. In “The Murders of the Rue Morgue,” Dupin sets out to solve a set of murders when the police fail. In both stories, rationality and human will are prized in these characters. Dupin and Legrand are logical and, because of their supreme rationality, they are able to solve the mysteries. Another factor to their characters is their strong wills. Dupin seeks answers in the tiniest details and does not stop when the answer is not immediately obvious; Legrand is the same. The...