Legrands Opus Magnum: Der alchemistische Code in Edgar Allan Poes "The Gold-Bug"

Abstract

Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Gold-Bug", originally published in 1843, is one of his most cryptographic writings and his been subject to many interpretative approaches. I contend that the alchemical code hidden within the superficial framework of an adventure story permeates the entire tale and adds a coherent, yet mystifying, layer of meaning. Based on the findings of Barton Levi St. Armand in 1971, this article shows that Poe's numerous alchemichal allusions in this story form a detailed account of the so called opus magnum, the greatest quest of the alchemist, who 'is personified by the character Legrand. Furthermore, the alchemical code in "The Gold-Bug" demonstrates how the strife for material wealth is transformed through a process of ratiocination into a search for enlightenment. This reflects the original project of hermetic alchemy as well as Poe's critical perception of the economic and political turmoil of the 1840s