gold bug gold bug short story published plot follows gold colored bug servant fears going insane goes friend unnamed narrator agrees visit old friend pulls adventure secret message lead buried treasure story set sullivan island south_carolina compared tales early form detective fiction aware public interest secret writing asked readers challenge skills code breaker took advantage popularity writing gold bug success story centers characterization servant criticized racist modern perspective especially speech written dialect comical dialogue submitted gold bug entry writing contest sponsored story won grand prize published installments beginning june prize included probably largest single sum received works gold bug instant success popular widely read works lifetime helped secret writing plot summary relocated new_orleans sullivan island south_carolina losing family fortune brought african american servant story narrator friend visits evening unusual like bug found bug weight appearance convince pure gold lent officer stationed nearby fort draws sketch narrator markings resemble skull discuss bug particularly focused sketch carefully locks desk confused narrator takes leave night month later visits narrator asks come immediately fearing bug gone insane arrive island insists bug key restoring lost fortune leads expedition particular tree climb finds skull nailed end branch direction drops bug eye spot group begins dig finding climb tree drop bug skull eye choose different spot dig time finding skeletons chest filled gold coins jewelry estimate total value million figure proves actual worth eventually sell items explains day found bug mainland coastline picked scrap piece wrap kept scrap sketch bug narrator noticed traces invisible ink revealed heat fire burning proved contain set directions finding treasure buried infamous pirate captain final step involved dropping weight left eye skull tree dig failed mistakenly dropped right eye instead skeletons remains members crew buried chest killed silence story involves detailed description method solving simple letter frequencies message message message spaces good glass bishop devil seat degrees thirteen minutes northeast north main branch seventh limb east shoot left eye death head bee line tree shot feet determined bishop referred site ancient manor house found narrow roughly resembled chair devil seat sighting given bearing spotted white branches large tree proved skull weight dropped left eye order find treasure analysis gold bug includes uses simple secret writing probably inspired interest certainly popularized time people 19th century mysterious able break codes considered gifted nearly supernatural ability drawn attention novelty months philadelphia publication alexander asked readers submit solve little effort challenge brought wrote lively interest numerous readers journal letters poured editor parts country july published words secret writing realizing interest topic wrote gold bug pieces literature incorporate story character explanation ability solve like explanation words secret writing actual gold bug story real insect instead combined characteristics insects found area story takes place technically species beetle gold head slightly gold body black spots noted fictional bug found click beetle native sullivan island depiction african servant considered stereotypical racist modern perspective depicted lacking intelligence tell left right probably included character inspired similar character reviewed black characters fiction time period unusual choice speaking role critics scholars question accent authentic merely comic relief suggesting similar accents blacks charleston possibly inspired story included short list detective stories gold bug technically detective fiction evidence solution given character compared fictional detective use term describe method process seen deemed publication history reception originally sold gold bug asked heard writing contest sponsored philadelphia dollar newspaper incidentally return money graham instead offered reviews write won grand prize addition winning story published installments june june newspaper payment newspaper paid single work anticipating positive public response dollar newspaper took copyright gold bug prior publication story republished installments saturday philadelphia june july july appeared page included illustrations united_states newspapers gold bug widely read short story lifetime reported circulated copies probably paid helped increase popularity lecturer lecture philadelphia gold bug published drew large crowd hundreds turned away wrote letter great noise later compare public success gold bug raven admitted bird beat bug philadelphia called capital story wrote story characterised thrilling interest graphic power description best stories wrote printed review called story remarkable instance intellectual subtlety reasoning wrote october gold bug probably greater circulation american story ingenious story written comparable tell tale heart especially friend said gold bug golden age literary life popularity story brought controversy month publication accused prize committee philadelphia publication called gold bug abortion trash worth filed libel lawsuit editor later dropped apologized suggesting earn prize editor accused stealing idea gold bug story written named miss gold bug republished story collection tales june followed black cat stories success collection inspired french translation gold bug published november revue title literal translation story foreign language french version message remained english translation supplied alongside solution story translated russian version years later marking literary debut country published translation tale volume influential introducing work europe translations definitive renditions continent influence gold bug inspired novel treasure hunting acknowledged influence broke gallery doubt skeleton novel conveyed played major role newspapers magazines time period america foremost initially interested reading gold bug child interest later use japan purple code world war gold bug includes use term opposed stationed fort november december utilized personal experience sullivan island setting gold bug heard stories pirates like captain residents sullivan island embrace connection named public library local legend charleston says poem inspired time south_carolina set balloon hoax box vicinity alludes stature gold bug buried treasure genre short story supply demand character learns main characters searching treasure asks reading title novel derived gold bug bach composition novel incorporates short story plot jewish russian author published house prose gold bug serving major influence includes beetle tied string finds treasure basement house love interest lived providence rhode_island adaptations story proved popular day stage version opened august production performed philadelphia editor philadelphia newspaper spirit times said performance dragged tedious frame work wanted filling film television adaptation work appeared favorite story february season episode directed written later adaptation work appeared february season episode version directed written spanish feature film adaptation work appeared title del written directed alias gold bug episode abc weekend special series starred won daytime emmy awards outstanding children anthology dramatic programming executive producer producer outstanding individual achievement children programming makeup hair designer outstanding individual achievement children programming cinematographer simplified version story included murders published post modern anti racist radio story transmitted written produced directed starred gold bug novel man story antagonists communicate writer gold bug produced cast audio drama journey producer marshal voice actors big
The Gold-Bug