LITR 4232: American Renaissance

Sample Student Research Project, fall 2004

Melanie Braselton

November 21, 2004

Edgar Allan Poe and the Double:

I Can’t Seem to Get Away From Myself

The supposition that the book of the author is a thing apart from

the author’s self is, I think, ill founded.

Edgar Allan Poe

According to the article, The Double Nature of Man, when God breathed into man, thereby giving him life, he also gave him a “living soul”, an “embodied spirit”…a germ of immortality (editor).  The concept of the spiritual soul, the idea that we are more than just a one-dimensional self is an idea held in the literature of the Romantic Period, both in Europe and in America.  This notion of the double in romantic literature is found in the works of Edgar Allan Poe and especially in the five works written by him from 1831 to 1849, the time of his death.  These works “reflected a radical change in poems and tales on the theme of death ”[…]and dramas of the self”(Editor).  Poe wrote five of these dramas:  Bernice and  Morella in 1835, Ligeia (1838), The Fall of the House of Usher (1839) and William Wilson in 1840.  This paper will focus on Bernenice and William Wilson. 

The “development of the double[…]seems to have stemmed not only from the earlier depiction of twin doubles (in Shakespeare or Moliere, and very many others), but from studies in psychology and Mesmer’s theory of the magnetic union on the souls”(Sandman,2).  The concept of the double in literature, “what people are who see themselves” (Sandman, 4), was invented by Jean Paul (Friedrich Richler) who described doubles as “little heroes who utilize lush imagination to remove themselves to the world of fantasy” (Sandman, 4).  Tenants of the double that one would recognize in literature are an author’s affiliation with nighttime situations (moon, moonstruck, sleep, sleepwalking and dreams).  For example, the word “dream” can be tied into the world of the double because this word portrays a state of mind in which we can exist in another world; our imagination stems from our conscious.  “The world becomes the dream and the dream becomes the world”(Sandman, 2) states Novilis (Novilis-friedrich von Hardenbirg).  Other terms or thoughts that may signify doubleness are references to the eyes; we can see others or perhaps ourselves in another persons eyes.  Alienation, is a situation of the double in which one becomes so indulged in their work or themselves that they lose their identity and in effect, become their work (a good example of this is Frankenstein becoming the alter-ego of the monster he created).  Yet another trait of the double is the loss of closeness with family and loved ones as the double takes over.  This can be seen in Poe’s work,—the double may not at first be thought of as smart but manages to be the stronger of the two in character and is able to lead the creator instead of the creator being the one in charge.  When this happens, the double becomes the one on the inside, the one in power. Yet another identification device to point out the double is the desire for “retribution from within”  (Poe,18).This can be seen in William Wilson as it is possibly the conscious from within William Wilson that projects the concept of the “other” William Wilson.

One can see “the double” in the story of Berenice.  First, Berenice “embodies the memory of Egaeus’ original, true identity”(Poe,18)---the one he desires in his mind.  Egaeus, a sickly person since childhood compares himself with the lively Berenice, obviously longing to be carefree and healthy like her.  But illness changes Bernice and seems to “disturb even the identity of her person” (Berenice, 2).  She became, not Bernice, but losing her own identity, becomes what Egaeus wishes himself to be.  With her illness, and loss of self, Egaeus focuses on “the fortifications of her inner being[…] just as the eyes are the defense of the spirit, the teeth have become the symbol of Egaeus’ ‘assertion into the female inner sanctum’ ” (Kakmi,1).  He has broken the barrier and can now be Bernice’s “other”.  In this tale, one can easily pick up terms and phrases of the double: Egaeus lets us know that he comes from a “race of visionaries” (Berenice, 1) he speaks of  “spiritual and meaning of eyes” (Berenice,1) and leaves us in the realm of “shadow , vague, variable, indefinite, unsteady; and like a shadow too” (Berenice,1)  This is the world of dream but Poe takes a step further and ends this sentence with “like a shadow too, in the impossibility of my getting rid of it”.(Berenice,1).  Egaeus, like Poe, simply cannot seem to get away from himself!  Other terms that draw one to the idea of the other are Egaeus’ “ardent eye”(Berenice,1), the “stagnation” (Berenice,2) he experienced—living in a world of limbo, “living with in his own heart”, mentions of daydreams and the term day-dreamer.  These terms relate back to Richler and Hardnebeergs discussions on the tenants of doubleness.  By living in a situation where everyday realities passed by him, unnoticed and not to be concerned with, Poe’s Egaeus can later “shock the reader into recognition that the world of the fantastic and the supernatural is not comfortably removed from everyday existence” (Sandman, 2).  Some discomfort for the reader must exist as he knows the stage is being set for potential horror.  In both Berenice and William Wilson Poe makes sure that the reader “empathizes” with him—he (Egaeus and William Wilson) live in a world in which they are just sort of “there” with no responsibilities, no ties to the outer world and no commitments of their own.  This is actually a “double” of the world in which Poe lived—in and out of marriage, seldom responsible for his own self and a partaker in the spirits (the “alchohol” kind of spirit!).  This is the type of person that a double could easily take over.   

“As a classic of its’ genre, William Wilson is Poe’s clearest embodiment of the double.  In it the protagonist’s counterpart dramatizes not only conscience but a […] Primal Self in deep discord with the willful ego[…]this shadow self comes to momentary consciousness”(Poe,20) spurring “the belief of my having being acquainted with the being who stood before me” (Poe,20) This arabesque delineates the “psycho-transcendental themes: death-as-metamorphosis and the revelation of a supernatural existence(Poe,20).

In Poe’s William Wilson, we see the double in the entity that stalks Wilson, nearly driving him to insanity (a common function of the double!)  The perception is that the double is one of evil intent and the evil intent is already there, at the beginning as the narrator has already told the reader of the advent of a terrible crime.  The story takes place as the other arrives at Wilson’s school—in effect, a clone of Wilson.  This other does what many doppelgangers do, it torments Wilson and causes him to struggle against it ceaselessly.  Whatever Wilson does, his double does.  Wilson’s double serves as his downfall (just as Frankensteins’ monster was his downfall).  For example, Wilson’s double aids in finding hidden cards during a card game indicting the real Wilson is a cheat at cards. The real Wilson must flee in shame and thus begins the doubles pursuit of

Wilson and the beginning of the descent or downfall of William Wilson.  The double serves to tell the world about the true nature of William Wilson, to expose him.  Some believe that this is actually William Wilson’s conscious  and that William Wilson has been such a bad person and is so full of guilt that he has created this double to “expose” himself for what he really is.  In real life, one can have conflict about whether or not to reveal one’s weakness or one’s faults, but the conscience has no conflict and so the double represents a true reflection of William Wilson himself.  Another area we see the concept of the double in is when William Wilson creeps to the bedchamber of his double.  He pulls the curtains (shrouds) back on the bed (coffin) and sees—himself!  Here we see

William Wilson confronting his own immortality as he views the body, a vision of his own dead self.  This is a foreshadow to the actual “death” scene in the story where William Wilson kills his “other” and thereby kills his own self.

As one reads William Wilson, very vivid thoughts and phrases make one think of the double.  First, the other is there, but yet, not there—a spectre, a hologram, a ghost—and this is also brought out by the fact that this entity cannot talk above a whisper.  Also, in the text of the story, Poe uses the devices of shadow, dream and vision.  He sets his character up as being susceptible to being taken over by a doppelganger by describing him as being weak of mind and “beset with constitutional infirmities […] being left  to the guidance of my own will” (William Wilson,2),  William Wilson’s will being very weak.   

In describing the school, Poe again uses words such as dream-like, deeply shadowed and perhaps an important term when discussing the double, “overshadowed” (William Wilson,2).  This thought of having his destiny overshadow him foretells of the manner in which his other can so easily take over his life.  William Wilson describes his youth as a period that would leave little impression in latter years and that “all is a gray shadow—a weak and irregular remembrance”(William Wilson,3).  This is a common tenant of the victim of the double—they are weak and susceptible to being taken over by their double; this demonstration of weakness also allows the blame to go, not to William Wilson, but to his double.          

When William Wilson sees himself asleep there is a change in the relationship—previously bothersome, yet not quiet sinister, there develops a shift in their relationship and the horror comes in bringing with it an absence of tolerance and an increase in the severity of the pranks the other plays on William Wilson.  Finally having had enough, William Wilson flees to another school (Eaton) –just as Shelley’s Frankenstein flees the monster he created—flight often being a way to deal with these pesky doppelgangers!  however, William Wilson just can’t seem to escape William Wilson.  He is followed to another school (this is where William Wilson is revealed as a card cheat), then on to places across the continents—Paris, Rome, Vienna, Berlin, Moscow, Naples and Egypt. 

All the time, William Wilson is wondering –who is this?  What does he want?  The culmination of the story comes with the original William Wilson finally confronting his other with murder in mind.  Remember that this was foretold in the earlier part of the story when the narrator, William Wilson states that “Death approaches” (William Wilson, 1).

The murder of William Wilson by William Wilson, that is the final act and one which leaves the reader wondering, just who killed who or was anyone at all murdered?  As the story unfolded, the reader was able to see “the narrator, his double and the author become intertwined in convoluted branches, ‘returning in upon themselves’” (Deconstruction).  Looking back at other student’s research projects, both Jody Newmann and Anjanette Rau pointed to one common trait of Poe when Rau stated “Poe’s characters tend to become each other’s exact image” (Rau,1) and  Newmann noted that “many admire Poe’s unconventional writing styles and subject matter, but fail to make a clear distinction to where the story ends and Poe begins”( Newmann,2) posing the opening to ask the question, was Poe his OWN double?  And if so, does that make a “triple”?  For as one discovers, Poe constructed both William Wilsons in his own vein—eerily, all three shared the same birthdates (except for the year), attended the same schools, shared the same ices of gambling and drink.  “Thus, one must acknowledge that the line that separates Poe and his characters is at most intermittent, and that the fissure that ran through the minds of his characters represents the writer’s own doppelganger” (Spectre, 5).

Having gone through this, the author of this paper feels that she has come full circle and is still left with many unanswered questions and thoughts.  Perhaps this is just what Edgar Allan Poe wanted his readers to feel, and if so, he succeeded  for his works still leave many a literature major befuddled.  But it is Poe’s use of the double, the doppelganger, the other, that this paper has sought to explore.  A difficult topic to bring to conclusion with an author of Poe’s character because, like a tormented “William Wilson”, Poe could never get away from himself.

Works Cited

Berenice.  19 November 2004.

       http://eserver.org/books/poe/berenice.html

Edgar Allan Poe <http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/poebio.html

Editor. “The Nature of Man”.  Undated.       <http:www.hti.umich.edu/t/text/gifcvdir/acg2248.1-13.004/01970173.tifl.gif>

“E.T.A. Hoffman, “The Sandman”. Undated.

        <http://www.theliterarylink.com/hoffmann.html.

Kakmi, Dmetri.  Edgar Allan Poe: The Imp of the Perverse.  18 November 2004. http://members.aol.com/iamvdolpho/poe.html

 A Journal Analyzing the Byronic Hero, Those Who Closely Resemble the Hero, Byron’s Writing Styles and Literary Criticism.  20 November 2004.

http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/White/LITR/4232/models/projects/proj03/rp03newmann…>

  Rau, Anjanette.  Gothic Devices.  20 November2004

    <http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/White/LITR/4232/models/projects/proj02/rp02.htm>

 That Spectre in My Path:  Poe’s Doppelganger as Revealed in “William Wilson”, “The Cask of Amontillado”, and “The Man of the Crowd”.  19 November 2004.

       http://www.poedecoder.com/una/spectre.htm

William Wilson and How to Use it for Deconstruction Assignment.  19 November 2004.

       http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tel?msg_id=005Qj3