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"If you should ever want an arm": disability and dependency in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Man That Was Used Up".(Critical essay)

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From: Atenea
Date: 20050601
Author:Warne, Vanessa

In his 1839 short story "The Man that Was Used Up," Edgar Allan Poe enlists the body of a military hero to examine connections between colonial conflict and technological innovation. At a public meeting, the tale's narrator meets Brevet Brigadier General John A.B.C. Smith, a veteran of territorial battles with the Kickapoo and Bugaboo tribes. Fascinated by Smith's handsome appearance and reputation for bravery, the narrator is anxious to learn more about him. When acquaintances fail to provide adequate information, he visits the General at home. There, in the private space of ...

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