An obstetrician implants microchips in the babies he delivers so he can track their movements when they get older. The doctor is a white supremacist and determined to find evidence that supports his twisted vision of racial distinction. Eighteen years after his first implantations, two of the children he worked with commit a particularly brutal murder. The doctor turns them in anonymously and quickly becomes a kind of folk hero. But after a relentless New York Daily News reporter finds out how the murderers were identified, the doctor becomes a man on the run.

Scholarship on Edgar Allan Poe's Dupin stories consistently focuses on the stories' influence on the genre of detective fiction. One of the foundational genre elements pioneered by Poe in these tales is the sidekick/narrator. Throughout detective fiction, the less-intelligent sidekick has become a standard fixture, a convenient trope in foregrounding the brilliant machinations of the detective's mind. The attention the literature gives to the narrator of the Dupin tales is almost universally in terms of the sidekick/narrator figure as a trope of detective fiction; in this way, it seems that Dupin's companion has come to be read in terms of what he has in common with his successors, the Watsons and Archie Goodwins of mystery stories, rather than more strictly on the terms of what makes him unique. This thesis examines the ways in which the narrator alternately highlights (in subtle ways) and attempts to obfuscate (in equally subtle ways) his role as the fictional author of the tales. The narrator's role as writer complicates the reading of Dupin as the autonomous master of his own narrative, and as the narrator himself as a generic, dim-witted sidekick. In this way, Dupin and the narrator occupy flip sides of the same narrative coin—Dupin serves as the showman, and the narrator, the invisible author. As contrasting, complementary doubles of one another, they perform the function of collaborative authors, each one equally essential to the production of the tales. Similarly, this reevaluation of the narrator/sidekick as an author figure brings out ways in which the narrator's genius parallels and matches the genius of Dupin.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / This paper assesses the legacy of Allan Bloom. Particular focus is given to Bloom's book The Closing of the American Mind, published in 1987. Chapter One discusses the scholarly and commercial appeal of The Closing of the American Mind. The chapter also raises the question that this paper attempts to answer-Is The Closing of the American Mind nothing more than a publishing success and what Sidney Hook described as a "noble failure," or is it a work of lasting significance that has implications for higher-education policy and reform? Chapter Two describes the climate of the University of Chicago that Bloom entered in the mid-1940s. The longtime president of the University, Robert Maynard Hutchins, and his colleague Mortimer Adler are profiled. The chapter also provides profiles of Bloom's mentor, Leo Strauss, and Strauss's disciples, the socalled "Straussians." Some works from Strauss and the Straussians are reviewed. Chapter Three provides an in-depth examination of four axial terms: 1) Reason, 2) Nature, 3) Eros, and 4) Soul. In this chapter, much of Plato's teaching and Bloom's analysis of Plato's teachings are discussed. Chapter Four is a thematic analysis of Bloom's book. Bloom's views on philosophy, poetry, and the permanent questions are examined. This chapter also delves into Bloom's arguments about education and character, and his views on democracy and its homogenizing effects. The chapter concludes with an analysis of Bloom's position on whether educational change is more a proposition of general reform or individual example. Chapter Five presents favorable and unfavorable reviews of The Closing of the American Mind. Key arguments are categorized under 12 sections that serve as indicators of higher-education disputes in America. Chapter Six is the conclusion, and it assesses the strength of Bloom's educational legacy. The study concludes that Bloom's arguments are still valuable, but attempts at educational initiatives will probably fail if they are perceived as "turning back the clock," rather than a movement toward shared core beliefs from which many contemporary educational initiatives have drifted. / 2031-01-01

Though the cinematic genre of horror was not designated until the twentieth century, elements of this genre have appeared onstage since the time of the Greeks. Theatre history is rife with examples of theatrical ghosts and horrors, whose ever-changing representation indicates society's evolving relationship to and expectation for horror onstage. In 2019, Virginia Tech presented the installation Poe's Shadows, which combined elements of traditional theatre, original art, and innovative technology to present an immersive experience of Edgar Allan Poe's work. This production was a unique collaborative work that combined the creative labor of both faculty and students, while also invoking past horror theatre techniques and technologies. The properties of the Cube performance space allowed the Poe's Shadows creative team to imitate hand-cranked panoramas, magic lantern shows, and shadow plays, while also using sound effects and narration that combined elements of theatrical tradition and ghost shows. By studying the history of Poe's Shadows, as well as the reception of the installation, one can see how the theatre's evolving relationship with horror is effected by audience demand and expectation, as well as newly available technologies. / Master of Arts / Though the horror genre is most often associated with books and films, elements of the genre have been present onstage for thousands of years. Furthermore, studying these theatrical ghosts and ghouls—and how they were represented onstage— can help contemporary audiences understand historical anxieties and expectations. In 2019, Virginia Tech presented the installation Poe’s Shadows, which combined elements of traditional theatre, original art, and innovative technology to present an immersive experience of Edgar Allan Poe’s work. This production was a unique collaborative work that combined the creative labor of both faculty and students, while also invoking past horror theatre techniques such as hand-cranked panoramas, magic lantern shows, and shadow plays, accompanied by with sound effects and narration that combined elements of theatrical tradition and ghost shows. By studying the history of Poe’s Shadows, as well as the reception of the installation, one can see how the theatre’s evolving relationship with horror is effected by audience expectation and newly available technologies.

The author proposes to determine, through a study of the poems, tales, and criticism, the purposes and methods guiding Poe's violation of the conventional use of nature as a mere descriptive element.

O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar uma leitura do conto The Murders in the rue Morgue, do escritor norte-americano Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), do ponto de vista de sua relação com seu contexto histórico de produção. Uma parte essencial desta pesquisa foi o estudo da fortuna crítica do escritor, a qual em grande parte ocupa-se em fazer leituras da obra de Poe como objeto de ideologia, destacado de uma realidade sócio-histórica e do lugar do escritor como trabalhador. A discussão feita aqui sobre esta parte de sua fortuna crítica aponta alguns mecanismos por meio dos quais a crítica desvia a atenção da leitura da obra de Poe para questões de ordem puramente formal ou mesmo biográfica. O estudo do contexto histórico em que viveu Poe, bem como de material crítico que estabelece relações entre tal contexto e sua obra, fornece fundamentação importante para a leitura do conto aqui apresentada, a qual visa a evidenciar a configuração de contradições históricas dentro da forma literária. Posicionando Edgar Allan Poe em seu devido lugar histórico, é possível compreender como a forma do conto de detetive sedimenta tais contradições, revelando os esforços do escritor em lidar com o material sócio-histórico disponível, conforme a leitura de The Murders in the rue Morgue feita aqui busca demonstrar. / The objective of this research is to present an analysis of the North American writer Edgar Allan Poes short story The Murders in the rue Morgue, from the perspective of its relations with its historical context of production. A central part of this research was the study of the critical material produced about the author and his work, whose major interest, in general, is to analyze Poes work as an object of ideology, detached from a social historical reality and from the writers position as a worker. The discussion presented here about this part of the criticism indicates some mechanisms through which criticism distracts the attention from the reading of Poes work to questions of merely formal or biographical order. The study of the historical context in which Poe lived, as well as that of critical material which establishes relations between this context and his work, provides important basis for the analysis of the short story presented here, which aims at demonstrating the representation of historical contradictions inside the literary form. Positioning Edgar Allan Poe in his historical place, it is possible to understand how the form of the detective story is related to these contradictions, revealing the writers efforts to deal with the social historical content available, as the analysis presented here intends to show.

Esta tese apresenta a continuação de um estudo da obra de Edgar Allan Poe iniciado no Mestrado, que focou no primeiro conto de detetive de Poe, The Murders in the Rue Morgue. Na presente etapa, o objetivo foi investigar de que maneira a obra de Poe figura uma experiência sócio-histórica específica, estudando desta vez seus outros dois contos de detetive, The Mystery of Marie Rogêt e The Purloined Letter. Ao ampliar o foco da pesquisa para compreender melhor o lugar desses contos na obra do escritor, o estudo levou à conclusão de que os três contos de detetive de Poe, publicados entre 1841 e 1844, desempenham um papel central na figuração da sua experiência histórica, representando um momento importante de síntese de suas reflexões. Por isso, esta tese organiza-se de modo a dar esta posição de destaque aos seus contos de detetive, mas apresenta, no primeiro e no quarto capítulos, comentários acerca de uma seleção de outras de suas obras, literárias ou não, que representam momentos importantes do percurso de suas reflexões e de sua tomada de posição diante das contradições próprias de seu momento histórico. As principais dessas contradições dizem respeito ao funcionamento do mercado editorial dos Estados Unidos no século XIX, e incluem a produção de literatura popular e de jornalismo sensacionalista, a relação com o público leitor e as relações de produção predominantes no mencionado mercado. Poe desenvolve um posicionamento crítico cada vez mais consequente diante desse contexto, desenhando diagnósticos a respeito da situação do escritor e da literatura diante da mercadorização da atividade artística e definindo posturas propositivas, especialmente por meio de seu reaproveitamento criativo dos materiais disponíveis, assim apontando para possibilidades expressivas mais desafiadoras e relevantes do que as que ele via se multiplicando na época. Além disso, são importantes outras atitudes de Poe que demonstraram sua insatisfação com as relações de produção da época, tais como a escrita de diversos artigos sobre o tema e, da maior relevância, sua tentativa (embora fracassada) de lançar uma revista literária controlada por artistas. Tudo isso faz da obra de Edgar Allan Poe uma grande contribuição para a literatura. / This dissertation presents the continuation of a study of Edgar Allan Poes work started in the Masters research whose object was the first detective story written by Poe, published in 1841, The Murders in the Rue Morgue. In the present study, the objective is to investigate how Poes work represents a social-historical experience, focusing this time on his two other detective stories, The Mystery of Marie Rogêt and The Purloined Letter. When enlarging the scope of the research in order to better understand the role of these stories in the writers work, the study led to the conclusion that his three detective stories, published between 1841 and 1844, in fact play a central role in the figuration of his historical experience, representing an important moment of synthesis in his reflections. For this reason, this dissertation is organized so as to put forth his detective stories, while also presenting, in the first and forth chapters, comments regarding a selection of other works, literary or not, representing important moments of the development of his reflections and his positioning before the contradictions of his historical moment. The most relevant of these contradictions concern the operation of the editorial market of the United States in the 19th century, and include the production of sensational popular literature, the sensational journalism, the relation with the reading public and the relations of production predominating in the market. The writer develops an increasingly consequent critical positioning before such context, designing diagnoses about the writers and literatures situations in a moment of commodification of the artistic activity and defining an active attitude, thus indicating expressive possibilities which were more challenging and relevant than the ones he saw multiplying in his times. Besides, there are other attitudes in which Poe demonstrated his dissatisfaction with the relations of production, suc as his articles about the theme and, very relevant, his attempt (although he failed) of starting a literary magazine controlled by artists. This makes Edgar Allan Poes work a huge contribution for literature.

O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar uma leitura do conto The Murders in the rue Morgue, do escritor norte-americano Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), do ponto de vista de sua relação com seu contexto histórico de produção. Uma parte essencial desta pesquisa foi o estudo da fortuna crítica do escritor, a qual em grande parte ocupa-se em fazer leituras da obra de Poe como objeto de ideologia, destacado de uma realidade sócio-histórica e do lugar do escritor como trabalhador. A discussão feita aqui sobre esta parte de sua fortuna crítica aponta alguns mecanismos por meio dos quais a crítica desvia a atenção da leitura da obra de Poe para questões de ordem puramente formal ou mesmo biográfica. O estudo do contexto histórico em que viveu Poe, bem como de material crítico que estabelece relações entre tal contexto e sua obra, fornece fundamentação importante para a leitura do conto aqui apresentada, a qual visa a evidenciar a configuração de contradições históricas dentro da forma literária. Posicionando Edgar Allan Poe em seu devido lugar histórico, é possível compreender como a forma do conto de detetive sedimenta tais contradições, revelando os esforços do escritor em lidar com o material sócio-histórico disponível, conforme a leitura de The Murders in the rue Morgue feita aqui busca demonstrar. / The objective of this research is to present an analysis of the North American writer Edgar Allan Poes short story The Murders in the rue Morgue, from the perspective of its relations with its historical context of production. A central part of this research was the study of the critical material produced about the author and his work, whose major interest, in general, is to analyze Poes work as an object of ideology, detached from a social historical reality and from the writers position as a worker. The discussion presented here about this part of the criticism indicates some mechanisms through which criticism distracts the attention from the reading of Poes work to questions of merely formal or biographical order. The study of the historical context in which Poe lived, as well as that of critical material which establishes relations between this context and his work, provides important basis for the analysis of the short story presented here, which aims at demonstrating the representation of historical contradictions inside the literary form. Positioning Edgar Allan Poe in his historical place, it is possible to understand how the form of the detective story is related to these contradictions, revealing the writers efforts to deal with the social historical content available, as the analysis presented here intends to show.

Esta tese apresenta a continuação de um estudo da obra de Edgar Allan Poe iniciado no Mestrado, que focou no primeiro conto de detetive de Poe, The Murders in the Rue Morgue. Na presente etapa, o objetivo foi investigar de que maneira a obra de Poe figura uma experiência sócio-histórica específica, estudando desta vez seus outros dois contos de detetive, The Mystery of Marie Rogêt e The Purloined Letter. Ao ampliar o foco da pesquisa para compreender melhor o lugar desses contos na obra do escritor, o estudo levou à conclusão de que os três contos de detetive de Poe, publicados entre 1841 e 1844, desempenham um papel central na figuração da sua experiência histórica, representando um momento importante de síntese de suas reflexões. Por isso, esta tese organiza-se de modo a dar esta posição de destaque aos seus contos de detetive, mas apresenta, no primeiro e no quarto capítulos, comentários acerca de uma seleção de outras de suas obras, literárias ou não, que representam momentos importantes do percurso de suas reflexões e de sua tomada de posição diante das contradições próprias de seu momento histórico. As principais dessas contradições dizem respeito ao funcionamento do mercado editorial dos Estados Unidos no século XIX, e incluem a produção de literatura popular e de jornalismo sensacionalista, a relação com o público leitor e as relações de produção predominantes no mencionado mercado. Poe desenvolve um posicionamento crítico cada vez mais consequente diante desse contexto, desenhando diagnósticos a respeito da situação do escritor e da literatura diante da mercadorização da atividade artística e definindo posturas propositivas, especialmente por meio de seu reaproveitamento criativo dos materiais disponíveis, assim apontando para possibilidades expressivas mais desafiadoras e relevantes do que as que ele via se multiplicando na época. Além disso, são importantes outras atitudes de Poe que demonstraram sua insatisfação com as relações de produção da época, tais como a escrita de diversos artigos sobre o tema e, da maior relevância, sua tentativa (embora fracassada) de lançar uma revista literária controlada por artistas. Tudo isso faz da obra de Edgar Allan Poe uma grande contribuição para a literatura. / This dissertation presents the continuation of a study of Edgar Allan Poes work started in the Masters research whose object was the first detective story written by Poe, published in 1841, The Murders in the Rue Morgue. In the present study, the objective is to investigate how Poes work represents a social-historical experience, focusing this time on his two other detective stories, The Mystery of Marie Rogêt and The Purloined Letter. When enlarging the scope of the research in order to better understand the role of these stories in the writers work, the study led to the conclusion that his three detective stories, published between 1841 and 1844, in fact play a central role in the figuration of his historical experience, representing an important moment of synthesis in his reflections. For this reason, this dissertation is organized so as to put forth his detective stories, while also presenting, in the first and forth chapters, comments regarding a selection of other works, literary or not, representing important moments of the development of his reflections and his positioning before the contradictions of his historical moment. The most relevant of these contradictions concern the operation of the editorial market of the United States in the 19th century, and include the production of sensational popular literature, the sensational journalism, the relation with the reading public and the relations of production predominating in the market. The writer develops an increasingly consequent critical positioning before such context, designing diagnoses about the writers and literatures situations in a moment of commodification of the artistic activity and defining an active attitude, thus indicating expressive possibilities which were more challenging and relevant than the ones he saw multiplying in his times. Besides, there are other attitudes in which Poe demonstrated his dissatisfaction with the relations of production, suc as his articles about the theme and, very relevant, his attempt (although he failed) of starting a literary magazine controlled by artists. This makes Edgar Allan Poes work a huge contribution for literature.

The problem with which this research is concerned is the documentation of Allan Rogers Lindquest's vocal teaching techniques and contributions to the field of vocal pedagogy in America from 1974 to 1981. The purpose of this study is the identification and compilation of voice building techniques and vocal exercises that were formulated for vocal pedagogy by Lindquest. As a result of reviewing the literature related to vocal pedagogy, which identifies methods of voice teaching and contrasts pedagogical styles, the research questions developed for this study concern the identification and classification of Lindquest's teaching techniques in instructional areas that include breath and breath support, areas of resonance, vowels and vowel modification, vocal registers, other related areas of vocal production, and the directions for and expected results of special vocal exercises. The sources of data for this study are verbatim transcripts of fifty-six audio tapes of voice lessons conducted by Lindquest with seven students.