On the surface, “The Purloined Letter” is a perfect example of detective fiction. There is one main character, C. Auguste Dupin, and one major conflict that needs solving: locating and recovering a letter stolen from the queen. However, unlike conventional detective fiction, the crime and suspect are known from the beginning of the story. The plot also relies heavily on intellect rather than action, though this emphasis on the deductive process—what Dupin calls ratiocination—would also feature heavily in Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories.

The story consists of two parts: the narration and resolution of the crime, and Dupin’s explanation of his methods (and, arguably, his motive) for solving the crime. These events take place in Paris over the course of one month, with both halves of the narrative occurring in the evening at the home of C. Auguste Dupin, where he and the narrator are smoking pipes. The two “action” scenes both occur in the first part of the story and serve as an example of repetition. The first, narrated by Monsieur G——, describes how Minister D—— stole