"The Gold-Bug" is a*short story*by American writer*Edgar Allan Poe*published in 1843. The plot follows William Legrand, who becomes fixated on an unusual gold-colored bug he has discovered. His servant Jupiter fears that Legrand is going insane and goes to Legrand's friend, an unnamed narrator, who agrees to visit his old friend. Legrand pulls the other two into an adventure after deciphering a secret message that will lead to a*buried treasure.
The story, set on*Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, is often compared with Poe's "tales of*ratiocination" as an early form of*detective fiction. Poe became aware of the public's interest in*secret writing*in 1840 and asked readers to challenge his skills as a code-breaker. He took advantage of the popularity of*cryptography*as he was writing "The Gold-Bug", and the success of the story centers on one such*cryptogram. Modern critics have judged the characterization of Legrand's servant Jupiter as*racist, especially because of his dialect speech.
Poe submitted "The Gold-Bug" as an entry to a writing contest sponsored by the*Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper. His story won the grand prize and was published in three installments, beginning in June 1843. The prize also included $100, probably the largest single sum that Poe received for any of his works. An instant success, "The Gold-Bug" was the most popular and widely read of Poe's prose works during his lifetime. It also helped popularize cryptograms and secret writing.
