“The Man of the Crowd” is a story that deals with the influence of the big city upon the ordinary person. Obsessed with categorization, the protagonist feels baffled by his inability to piece together the situation in front of him. Moving from a state of contemplation and categorization, to a heightened state of mental pressure and desire to prove even further, Poe’s protagonist embarks on a journey through London darkest streets and godforsaken slums. The story is a perfect example of what happens when our rational thoughts are replaced by the delirious and altered perceptions of the world that lies beyond the ordinary one.


Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American poet, author, and literary critic. Most famous for his poetry, short stories, and tales of the supernatural, mysterious, and macabre, he is also regarded as the inventor of the detective genre and a contributor to the emergence of science fiction, dark romanticism, and weird fiction. His most famous works include “The Raven” (1945), "The Black Cat” (1943), and “The Gold-Bug” (1843).