The Man of the Crowd

by

Edgar Allan Poe

The Diamond or the Dagger Symbol Analysis

The Diamond or the Dagger Symbol Icon

The glinting object hidden in the mysterious old man’s clothing symbolizes the sense of ambiguity and uncertainty that overtakes the narrator. Although the narrator spots this shining object as he follows the old man, this detail itself doesn’t actually help him answer any of his questions about the man—rather, this clue only serves to heighten the narrator’s curiosity, as he guesses that the object is either a diamond or a dagger. This raises more questions, none of which are answered by the end of the story. If it’s a dagger, the old man might be dangerous. If it’s a diamond, he might be a thief. And, of course, it’s possible that the glinting object is something else entirely. Similar to the old man’s strange facial expressions, then, the object he’s carrying represents a fascinating but unknowable secret. The narrator assumes he can deduce facts about it through observation, but he never finds out what it is, suggesting that sometimes it’s nearly impossible to arrive at accurate conclusions about strangers, all of whom have their own hidden lives. To that end, the reader—and the narrator himself—never gets to see what, exactly, the object is. Instead, the story simply highlights the way this object makes the narrator’s mind run wild with possibilities. In turn, the object itself comes to represent the unfathomable mysteries lurking in the lives of strangers and, moreover, the human tendency to become fascinated with the other people’s secrets.

The Diamond or the Dagger Quotes in The Man of the Crowd

The The Man of the Crowd quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Diamond or the Dagger. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Dark Secrets Theme Icon
).
The Man of the Crowd Quotes

His clothes, generally, were filthy and ragged; but as he came, now and then, within the strong glare of a lamp, I perceived that his linen, although dirty, was of beautiful texture; and my vision deceived me, or, through a rent in a closely-buttoned and evidently second-handed roquelaire which enveloped him, I caught a glimpse of both a diamond and of a dagger.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), The Old Man
Related Symbols: The Diamond or the Dagger
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 446
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Diamond or the Dagger Symbol Timeline in The Man of the Crowd

The timeline below shows where the symbol The Diamond or the Dagger appears in The Man of the Crowd. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Man of the Crowd
Dark Secrets Theme Icon
Curiosity, Obsession, and the Unknown Theme Icon
...clothing, the narrator thinks he spots a glinting object, which he guesses to be either a dagger or a diamond . These observations only make the narrator more eager to learn about this strange man,... (full context)