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Poe was the first writer to write about main characters who were bad guys or who were mad guys, and those are some of my favorite stories.
Stephen King
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Stephen King admires Edgar Allan Poe for portraying complex, flawed characters in his stories.

In this quote, Stephen King reflects on Edgar Allan Poe's pioneering role in literature, particularly in creating main characters who are morally ambiguous or psychologically troubled. King appreciates these narratives as they delve into the darker aspects of the human experience, revealing that stories featuring such characters can be incredibly engaging and thought-provoking.

Themes

Edgar Allan PoeComplex CharactersLiteratureFlawed CharactersDark Stories

In practice

Example use cases

During a literature class discussion, a teacher might use this quote to illustrate the evolution of character development in fiction.

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Try any goddam thing you like, no matter how boringly normal or outrageous. If it works, fine. If it doesn't, toss it. Toss it even if you love it.
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That's the day's business. Thinking. Thinking and isolation, because it doesn't matter if you pass the time of day with someone or not; in the end, you're alone. He seemed to have put in as many miles in his brain as he had with his feet. The thoughts kept coming and there was no way to deny them.
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Late last night and the night before, tommyknockers, tommyknockers knocking on my door. I wanna go out, don't know if I can 'cuz I'm so afraid of the tommyknocker man.
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