The Purloined Letter Important Characters

The narrator - Dupin's friend who enjoys sitting with him and listening to how he solves cases

C. Auguste Dupin - French private detective who excels at examining cases and solving them mostly from within his own home, wins a year's salary from the Prefect for obtaining the missing letter

The Prefect - the head of the French police department who explains the case to Dupin and his friend and then pays Dupin for solving it for him

The Minister - the criminal who stole the letter from the woman of royalty and hid it in plain sight in his home