Dupin and Holmes: Twin Sons of Different Fathers

First came C. Auguste Dupin.  He was followed quickly by the even more famous Sherlock Holmes.  How were these two fictional detectives related?  How closely did the creator of Sherlock Holmes follow the example set by the creator of C. Auguste Dupin?  This exercise will help you find their similarities and their differences by comparing and contrasting them.  Click on the link below to open a file that you may print and use to keep notes.

Compare and Contrast

The Purloined Letter - Part 2

In the second part of The Purloined Letter, we find out how Dupin acquired the stolen letter.  After reading the conclusion of this story,  please complete these activities to check your understanding of the story.

The Reader as Detective
On the Trail
Finding Word Meanings
Reviewing the Case

The Purloined Letter - Part 1

Before the great detective Sherlock Holmes, there was C. Auguste Dupin.  He was created by the noted American author Edgar Allan Poe who lived in Baltimore, Maryland in the first half of the nineteenth century.  Poe is credited with being the first author to write a detective story, a type of literature which became very popular all over the world.

After you have read The Purloined Letter, please take these quizzes to check your understanding of the story.  Then complete the short essay.  You may type your answer into the space provided, or you may write it on a separate piece of paper.

The Reader as Detective
On the Trail
Finding Word Meanings

Essay question - Reviewing the Case