The Gold-Bug

"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. After losing his family fortune, William Legrand has relocated from New Orleans to a remote cabin on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, along with his African-American servant Jupiter. The story's narrator, Legrand's friend, visits him one evening and Legrand tells him of an unusual scarab-like beetle ('bug') he has collected that day. Legrand has lent it to an officer stationed at nearby Fort Moultrie, but he draws a sketch of it and notes that its markings resemble a skull. When the narrator queries the accuracy of the drawing, Legrand becomes withdrawn and carefully locks it in his desk for safekeeping. Confused, the narrator takes his leave.