Literary Contexts in Short Stories: Edgar Allan Poe's "The Gold-Bug".This essay presents a plot summary and analysis of Edgar Allen Poe's short story "The Gold-Bug." The essay contextualizes the story through a discussion of historical, societal, religious, scientific and biographical information. Centered heavily on Poe's interest in cryptography and ratiocination through its depiction of ciphers and symbols, the story also plays with societal issues like race, status, and wealth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]