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The Gold Bug
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The Gold Bug

story by Poe
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Article History

The Gold Bug, mystery story by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1843 in the Philadelphia Dollar Magazine; it was later published in the collection Tales (1845). The central character, William Legrand, has sequestered himself on Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, after a series of economic setbacks. With his servant Jupiter he finds a golden beetle. The parchment in which he captures it is later revealed to be inscribed with cryptic writing and an emblem similar to the death’s-head marking on the insect. Legrand deciphers the message and follows its strange instructions, which lead him to uncover the buried treasure of Captain Kidd.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.