Final Paper Proposal

For my paper I will be focusing on Bernice and William Wilson both by Poe, as well as The Birthmark by Hawthorne. I intend to discuss the use of monomania that is prevalent in both Bernice and The Birthmark.  I find it particularly interesting how Poe in Bernice uses monomania to focus on the one thing that his wife Bernice contains that he finds beauty and perfection in - her teeth.  While in The Birthmark, Hawthorne’s character focus’ on the one thing he finds imperfect about his wife- her birthmark. I plan to incorporate William Wilson by arguing that this story is not only about the figure of the doppelganger, but that the doppelganger is a fixation caused by monomania which I will argue is related to William Wilson’s extreme narcissism. I will touch on the fact that William Wilson is a short story focusing on the psychological self-splitting which results from Wilson’s inability to body and mind. Wilson’s inability to escape his own demons perpetually draws his thoughts in to focus on him self as the text goes on.  It is his deep attachment and focus on himself that I believe can be related to monomania. These texts will be linked together through the genre of the short story and the themes of the gothic, and dark romanticism. I have not completely worked out my argument but so far these were some of my favorite reading from this course. I have been doing some researching today but it is proving to be more difficult than expected. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Works cited

Moldenenhauer, J.J. “From Murder as a Fine Art: Connections between Poe’s Aesthetics, Psychology, and Moral Vision.” The selected Writings of Edgar Allan Poe. Ed. G.R. Thompson. New York, 2004. 829-844. Print.

Kennedy, G.J. “ From Phantasms of Death in Poe’s Fiction.” The selected Writings of Edgar Allan Poe. Ed. G.R. Thompson. New York, 2004. 896-904. Print.

Armstrong, L. “The Shadow’s Shadow: The Motif of the Double in Edgar Allan Poe’s “ The Purloined Letter”.” The selected Writings of Edgar Allan Poe. Ed. G.R. Thompson. New York, 2004. 863-873. Print.

Crews, C.F. “The Logic of Compulsion.” Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Tales. Ed. James McIntosh. New York. 1987. 380-389.

McWilliams, JR.P.J. “Hawthorne and the Puritan Revolution of 1776.” Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Tales. Ed. James McIntosh. New York. 1987. 371-379.