Through a microanalysis, it is deduced that 'The Purloined Letter' is an allegory of a deeper lesson. 'The Purloined Letter' conforms to the accepted conventions of the short story to express the relationship between the human psyche and binary oppositions. Poe enlists short story conventions such as unity of effect and irony to convey hidden meaning and represent how people perceive right and wrong as flexible.
Poe uses the conventions of the short story within 'The Purloined Letter' to represent the relationship between the characters and how they perceive the idea of good versus evil. Throughout the story, Poe uses the motif of the double, as the letter was purloined using two different letters, leading to the greater allegorical meaning.…show more content… This is hinted at by the numerous doubles used throughout the story, and the reason Duplin was able to think like the minister. The allegorical meaning Poe expresses using the motif of the double questions readers on the irony that some wrongs are justifiable in the name of good. How good and bad are a just perspective of the individual and societies values. The clear characterization of the short story positions the minister, who originally purloined the letter as the villain, and Duplin the witty investigator as the hero. However, the ending uses irony due to Duplin and the minister being similar despite one being 'good' and one being 'bad'. The deeper allegorical meaning is expressed when Duplin then purloins the letter back from the minister. This is further enhanced when Duplin includes a French phrase at the end of his purloined letter to the minister. The phrase translates to expressing how his (Duplin’s) wrong was justified as the minister committed the first wrong. The unity of effect created by Poe in this story leads to a greater allegorical meaning that questions how society and the individual perceive the binary oppositions of good versus evil
