Poe and the Asylum

In 1844, Poe likely encountered the American Journal of Insanity through his associate, Dr. Pliny Earle, director of the Bloomingdale Asylum for the Insane. A careful look at the evidence suggests that the journal may have influenced Poe’s only fictional description of an asylum in “The System of Do...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Edgar Allan Poe review 2023-11, Vol.24 (2), p.161-175
Main Author: Gailey, Amanda
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
asylums
insanity
Languages
Literature
madness
Pliny Earle
Pop Culture
psychiatry
Online Access:Get full text
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Description
Summary:In 1844, Poe likely encountered the American Journal of Insanity through his associate, Dr. Pliny Earle, director of the Bloomingdale Asylum for the Insane. A careful look at the evidence suggests that the journal may have influenced Poe’s only fictional description of an asylum in “The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether.”
ISSN:2150-0428
2166-2932
DOI:10.5325/edgallpoerev.24.2.0161