Illness Narratives in Edgar Allan Poe’s Short Stories

Edgar Allan Poe occupies a unique position in the history of American literature.His gothic horror novels prove astounding on account of extraordinary rendering the atmosphere and in-depth psychological description.In his gothic novels, pestilence, tuberculosis and madness are common and the protagonists always suffer from foregoing diseases.Based on the investigation of the relation between Poe's life and illness and the social and cultural background of Poe's time, the thesis aims to discuss the emergence and embodiment of illness narratives in Poe's tales in order to explore the aesthetic values and cultural connotations.