“The Lighthouse” (Edgar Allan Poe, 1849; Cristina Fernández Cubas, 1997): from the “egocentred” to a “geocentred” analysis

Garcia, Patricia

Abstract

When Edgar Allan Poe died in 1849 he left behind an unfinished text about a nobleman who accepts a position as a lighthouse keeper. The manuscript was later found and assigned the title of “The Lighthouse” (Woodberry 1909), which has since been accepted as the official title. In 1997, however, the Spanish publishing house Ediciones Áltera commissioned nine writers to finish Poe’s manuscript. Rather than being restricted to the style and themes of its author, their contribution was to be a free and personal homage to him. Among them was Cristina Fernández Cubas. This essay explores her development of the use of narrative space in Poe’s short story, shifting from an “egocentred” to a “geocentred” angle. Based on Ryan’s approach to narrative space, this essay is centred on three elements: “spatial frames”, “story spaces” and “storyworld”. Each of these aspects will play a central role in generating a dynamic plot, despite the lack of human interaction in an isolated setting.

Citation

Garcia, P. (2015). “The Lighthouse” (Edgar Allan Poe, 1849; Cristina Fernández Cubas, 1997): from the “egocentred” to a “geocentred” analysis. In B. Le Juez (Ed.), Shipwreck and Island Motifs in Literature and the Arts (97-107). Rodopi. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004298750

• Online Publication Date: May 19, 2015
• Publication Date: May 13, 2015
• Deposit Date: Jun 4, 2015
• Publisher: Rodopi
• Pages: 97-107
• Book Title: Shipwreck and Island Motifs in Literature and the Arts
• ISBN: 978-90-04-29874-3
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004298750
• Public URL: http://www.brill.com/products/book/shipwreck-and-island-motifs-literature-and-arts
• Publisher URL: https://brill.com/view/title/31973