The Black Cat Essay Research Paper Chris — страница 2

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was so enraged he picked up an ax to kill the cat but his wife upon stopping him was killed by it instead. The next step was to conceal the body. He thought of many things like cutting the body into small pieces, and burning them. Maybe he could bury it in the cellar floor. Finally after many thoughts, he found the perfect solution. He would ?…wall the body up in the cellar, as the monks of the Middle Ages were recorded to have walled up their victims?(McGraw-?The Black Cat?). With a crowbar the narrator dislodged the bricks and carefully put the body inside the wall. Afterwards, he..?Prepared a plaster which could not be distinguished from the old, and with this he very carefully went over the new brick work?the wall did not present the slightest appearance of having been

disturbed?(McGraw-?the Black Cat?) After he was done he started to look for the cat. He could not find the cat anywhere. So the narrator figured that the cat was frightened and ran away. For days the cat never reappeared. A few people asked about his wife but he answered those easily. On the fourth day since the murder the police came. They left no nook or corner unexplored. They searched the cellar three or four times and were satisfied and were fixing to leave when the narrator said ?Gentlemen, I delight to have allayed your suspicions. I wish you all health and a little more courtesy. By the bye, gentlemen, this-this is a very well constructed house?I may say an excellently well-constructed house. These walls?are so solidly put together??(McGraw ) at this point he tapped on

the wall where his wife was entombed and was answered with a cry, then one loud continuos scream. The police tore down the wall and found the body of his wife along with the cat. He had walled the cat with his wife. The ?The Black Cat? is one of Poe?s most powerful stories. Poe wrote the story where the events that took place were somewhat ambiguous. The narrator begins the story stating that he is not insane. The readers may be able find reasonable explanations for the incidents that happened. The reader soon discovers that the man had undergone a drastic change in his personality, which attributed to alcohol and its affect on bringing out the perverse side of his nature. The reader also learns that the narrator is superstitious. The narrator mentions several times the

relationship between black cats and witchcraft, death and bad luck. The cat?s name ?Pluto? was symbolic of the Greek god of death. While presenting a possible supernatural cause for the events that happened in the story Poe also makes a strong case for a logical explanation of these events. Using the technique of foreshadowing Poe carefully suggests that these events to be an ordinary succession of cause and effect. For example, Poe uses Alcoholism as an excuse for the narrator?s distorted view of reality. Poe also gives a very scientific explanation the image of the cat on the wall after the fire. Poe also made it appear logical that the cat would hide from him in the wall where he entombed murdered wife. Most critics of Poe?s short story ?The Black Cat? have noted and commented

on the relationship of this story and several other of his stories such as ?The tell tale heart?. These critics pointed out common themes that fascinated Poe that included perversity, reincarnation, retribution, superstition, guilt, and conscience. Most critics have labeled ?The Black Cat? as a physiological study of the darker side of human nature and guilt. Poe drew on his own life to create the characters of ?The Black Cat? while allowing these characters to have personality of their own. Poe had a drinking problem that caused him to rage just like the character in the story. He feared for the safety of the people around him when alcohol caused him to become violent. He even had a black cat named ?Caterina? which was his favorite pet. Critics have found in this physiological

study hints of domestic violence and resentment. I think that Poe is a lot smarter than the critics gave him credit for. The first time I read the story I came to the conclusion that the cat came back to get the man for torturing it. As I read it a second time I change my opinion. I believe that the man is evil and that he had a cover of being nice and friendly towards other people and animals. At the end of the story after he had killed his wife the narrator stated that he had a good nights rest for the first time in awhile. I believe that ever since the beginning that wanted to get rid of his cats and his wife and do what he wanted to do. The only time he ever got scared was when he thought he would get caught. For example, he got scared when he saw the image of a hung cat upon