Poe's writings are often accused of racism; To what extent does Arthur Gordon Pym's fiction fit this characterization? NEED 100 or more words – Introduction in PYM on audiences and advertising. Poe's works have often been thought to contain underlying tones of racism throughout The Fiction of Arthur Gordon Pym Pym, to a large extent, is considered to fit this characterization. However, it can also be argued to some extent that the novel is not a work of racism, which can be demonstrated in a number of areas. It has been suggested that the characterization of racism within the novel occurs through two means. The first is that of Poe's personal views which can be seen to stem from his ties to the South and also from the fact that he himself owned slaves. The second, as suggested by critic Terence Whalen, is the “economic influence on both literary and commercial calculations” of racism (Whalen, 33). As identified by J. Gerald Kennedy, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym is a “story full of defiance and scenes full of rebellion and betrayal” (Kennedy, 237). The rebellions that flood the pages of this novel to a large extent fit perfectly with the racist characterization given to Poe's works; particularly the role the rebellions have on the novel's commercial interests. While Pym, the novel's protagonist, is locked in the bowls of the brig Grampus, some of the crew stage a successful mutiny. Poe's specific focus on two of the mutineers, among the many who took part, can to a large extent show the racism that surrounds this novel. The black cook, labeled earlier in the novel as a “nigger,” is described as “a perfect demon” who finds excitement in “the most hideous butchery” (Poe, 36, 38, 37). In the pro......middle of the paper......cing the Shadow; Poe and Race, Kennedy, J.G. and Weissberg, L. (eds.), (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001)- Jones, P.C., 'Slavery and Abolitionism', In Edgar Allan Poe in Context, Hayes, K.J. (a edited by. ), (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013)-Kennedy, J.G., 'Trust No One; Poe, Douglass, and the Culture of Slavery', In Romancing the Shadow; Poe and Race, Kennedy, J.G. and Weissberg, L. (eds.), (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001)- Poe, E.A., The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008)- Rudoff , S., “Written in Stone: Slavery and Authority in the Fiction of Arthur Gordon Pym,” in ATQ, vol. 14 No.1, (March 2000)- Whalen, T., 'Average Racism; Poe, Slavery, and the Wages of Literary Nationalism', In Romancing the Shadow; Poe and Race, Kennedy, J.G. and Weissberg, L. (eds.), (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001)