The Return of a Letter in Reverse Form: Lacan, Derrida, and Johnson’s Critical Writings on Poe’s The Purloined Letter

Edgar Allan Poe’s short story The Purloined Letter revolves around a stolen letter and the brilliant detective Dupin’s method of retrieving it by understanding his adversary’s psychology. It raises an intriguing question: Why does a letter always return to its sender? In this essay, I will explore the nature of the letter / signifier’s return, drawing on Lacan, Derrida, and Barbara Johnson’s critical writings on this renowned short story. This study will demonstrate that, despite their different theoretical contexts, these analyses mirror the very story they examine, raising questions about the legitimate role of the critic and the problematic nature of meta-language.