摘要
In an age when criminal psychology was still new, Edgar Allan Poe revolutionized the world with his tales of insightful penetration into the criminal mind. ＂The Tell-Tale Heart＂ （2007） is one such tale. Behind the mask of the narrator lies the dangerous, diabolical, and premeditated crime of the sadist. Most critics neglected to highlight the sadistic complex which manifests itself with outstanding clarity in the character Poe presents. Instead, they chose to focus on other aspects of his character, namely, his disturbed mental state. Yet, to dismiss a perversion such as sadism is to lose sight of Poe＇s legitimate merits as a criminal psychologist. This study highlights this point Through an interdisciplinary approach between criminology and literature, the study examines Poe＇s work from the criminological tradition represented by such figures as Richard von Krafft-Ebing, Paul De River, Carol Anne Davis, Karl Berg, Peter Vronsky, Julie Harrower, Curt R. Bartol, and others. The study is based upon criminological insights derived from and supported by actual case histories, and thus, is extremely important in bridging the gap between literature and criminology
