2.General character of style:
The work is written in subjective style with elements of colloquial speech.
3.The functional style:
The functional style of the story can be described as fiction with elements of suspense and stream of consciousness
4.The genre:
The genre, the author wrote in, is a short story. Subgenre: mystery with elements of detective short
5.The form of the story:
The form of the story is represented by the narration with a lot of dialogs and descriptions.
6.The type of narration:
The story is the 1st person narration with an external narrator
The narrator is subjective.
7.The setting of the story:
What concerns about the setting of the story, on the one hand, it is hidden and the reader can only guess the century and the year, using some details and hints.
It is possible to state that the story takes plays in the middle of the 18th century because of this quotation:
“The winters in the latitude of Sullivan’s Island are seldom very severe, and in the fall of the year it is a rare event indeed when a fire is considered necessary. About the middle of October, 18—, there occurred, however, a day of remarkable chilliness.”
and because some author’s biographical facts show it.
On the other hand the place where the actions take place is obvious. “The action takes place in South Carolina on Sullivan’s Island and on the mainland, near Charleston. At one end of the island is Fort Moultrie, a real-life military outpost constructed to protect Charleston.”
The main actions take place in Legrand’s house and somewhere in the island.
8.The plot:
The story “The Gold Bug” opens with the exposition where Edgar Poe describes the situation with the main character – William Legrand and the place where the story takes place. In the beginning of the text we can see the full description of Sullivan’s Island.
Then goes narrative hook when Legrand and the author meet each other and make the friendship.
Then the author passes onto the succession of events – the rising actions begin.
Legrand and Jupiter found the gold bug. When Legrand wanted to pick up the beetle it bit him. In order not to be bitten Jupiter took a piece of parchment and wrapped the bug. They came back to the hut. On the way home the met Lieutenant G. who took the beetle for one day. While Legrand and Jupiter were away, the friend of Legrand entered the hut and waited for them. When Legrand and Jupiter came Legrand told his friend about the bug and draw it. But his friend saw a skull instead of the beetle. After finding the bug Legrand starts behave in a strange way. He walked till late and made Jupiter feels nervous. After a month Legrand sent Jupiter to his friend to invite him. When Legrand’s friend came, Legrand told him about the treasure. All three of them at the instance of Legrand start the seeking for the treasure. Firstly they have a failure, because of Jupiter’s confusion. But then Legrand understood the mistake and they succeed. Here, the story reaches its culminating point – the climax. After the climax, the development of the plot is rather long. Falling actions are followed by the flashback where Legrand explains his friend why he start the seeking and how he decode the parchment. We can find the resolution in the end of the story when all explanations were finished. In the conclusion, Legrand and his friend discuss the possible origin of skeletons which they find under earth.
9. Characterization
On the one hand, Edgar Poe describes the characters directly, and, on the other hand, he gives us clues about what the characters are thinking, describing them indirectly.
The minor characters:
Lieutenant: Army officer at Fort Moultrie whom Legrand allows to keep the beetle overnight.
Old Negro Woman: Woman who helps Legrand locate a site mentioned in the secret code that points the way to the buried treasure.
The main characters:
William Legrand, unnamed narrator, Jupiter
1) William Legrand
indirect method
dynamic
complex
There are no descriptions of his physical appearance but we can guess that he wears some casual clothes because he lives alone in unpopulated place.
Despite the fact that there is no physical description we can find indirect description where the author hints at some features of Legrands character:
William Legrand is presented by the author as a clever and bright person. He decodes the pirate’s signs, his knowledge in history, biology and linguistics is shown in the work. So, we can also consider him to be well-educated, smart men.
Moreover according to the text, we can guess that William Legrand is a little bit unbalanced(неуравновешенный) His friend in the beginning of the text tells us about Lerand’s strange behavior. “I found him well educated, with unusual powers of mind, but infected with misanthropy, and subject to perverse moods of alternate enthusiasm and melancholy.”
We can also call him ambitious and goal-seeking because he get what he wants at the end and because he doesn’t stop when his friend and Jupiter dissuade (дисвейд отговаривать) him.
So, William Legrand is clever, well-educated, ambitious and goal-seeking person. That’s why he is considered to be a complex character. He has multiple personality traits and therefore resembles real person. He is harder to understand and describe. No single description or interpretation can fully contain him.
Also we can say that he is dynamic because his character changes throughout the work. At the beginning he is eager to find the treasure and make everything to do it, but at the end, after finding he settled down.
2) The narrator
method: indirect
dynamic
complex
Despite the fact that there is no physical description we can find indirect description where the author hints at some features of this character:
The Narrator is presented by the author as a clever and well-educated person. We can guess it according to his occupation – physician and according to his manner of speech.
Moreover according to the text, we can guess that Legrand’s friend is skeptic and maybe a little bit pessimistic. It is shown when he doesn’t support Legrand.
So, The narrator is clever, well-educated and skeptic. That’s why he is considered to be a complex character. He has multiple personality traits and therefore resembles real person. He is harder to understand and describe. No single description or interpretation can fully contain him.
Also we can say that he is dynamic because his character changes throughout the work. Initially he didn’t believe in the treasure but by the end of the seeking he started to understand that the treasure exists.
3) Jupiter
method: indirect
dynamic
complex
There is no physical description of his appearance but we can guess that he is old person:
“an old negro…who had been manumitted before the reverses of the family, but who could be induced, neither by threats nor by promises, to abandon what he considered his right of attendance upon the footsteps of his young “Massa Will.”
Jupiter is presented by the author as kind person. He always helps Legrand though he is a free person. Moreover he is responsive because he takes care for Legrand well. According to his speech we can guess that he is uneducated.
So, Jupiter is kind, responsive and uneducated person. That’s why he is considered to be a complex character. He has multiple personality traits and therefore resembles real person. He is harder to understand and describe. No single description or interpretation can fully contain him.
Also we can say that he is dynamic because his character changes throughout the work. Initially he didn’t believe in the treasure but by the end of the seeking he started to understand that the treasure exists.
10. The Conflict
On the basis of the characters’ descriptions, it’s obvious that the story dramatizes several conflicts.
There are a number of external conflicts.
Internal Conflict:
Individual vs Self (Legrand vs himself) He wants to find a treasure but some obstacles prevent him from it but at the end he succeed.
External Conflict:
Character vs. Character – the narrator and Jupiter vs Legrand: They didn’t believe Legrand that he found a way to the treasure.
Character vs. Character – Jupiter vs Legrand: Jupiter was worry about Legrand because he walked till late.
Character vs. Characters – the narrator vs Legrand: When Legrand draw a picture of the bug the narrator saw only the skull and hinted Legrand that he draws badly.
11. The theme and the subject
According to the plot and the conflicts, reflected in the story, it’s possible to state the theme.
Theme – The nature of humanity
Subject – The slave’s devotion
Jupiter stays with Legrand and takes care for him despite the fact that he is free person.
Theme – The nature of humanity
Subject – Persistent and purposefulness of Legrand. He wanted to decode what is written on parchment and find the treasure and he did it because he did his best.
12 . symbols
The reader can the symbol in the story. Bug – the symbol of something mysterious.
14. The general atmosphere
At the beginning it is vivid, then it becomes tense and emotional and finally the atmosphere is calm.
15. As far as my personal evaluation of the story concerned, I would like to say that I found the story thrilling but not so true-to-life.