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Summary. First, a brief summary of the plot of ‘The Black Cat’. The narrator explains how from a young age he was noted for his tenderness and humanity, as well as his fondness for animals. When he married, he and his wife acquired a number of pets, including a black cat, named Pluto. But as the years wore on, the narrator became more ...
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- The Black Cat
Posts about The Black Cat written by InterestingLiterature....
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A Summary and Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Black Cat’...
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In the morning, the narrator of "The Black Cat" felt horrible about the cruel act. The cat ’s eye socket healed, but he now knew to avoid the narrator and their bond was lost. At first, this loss saddens the narrator but that feeling of regret gives way to anger and perverseness. He explains this word, perverse.
Print (periodical) " The Black Cat " is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. It was first published in the August 19, 1843, edition of The Saturday Evening Post. In the story, an unnamed narrator has a strong affection for pets until he perversely turns to abusing them. His favorite, a pet black cat, bites him one night and the ...
- Edgar Allan Poe, 晶 渡部
- 1843
Summary. More than any of Poe's stories, "The Black Cat" illustrates best the capacity of the human mind to observe its own deterioration and the ability of the mind to comment upon its own destruction without being able to objectively halt that deterioration. The narrator of "The Black Cat" is fully aware of his mental deterioration, and at ...
- The Black Cat Summary
- The Black Cat Symbols
- The Black Cat Themes
- The Black Cat Key Quotes
- The Black Cat Study and Discussion Questions
The nameless protagonist/narrator begins his story by letting the readers know that he was once a nice, average man. He had a pleasant home, was married to a pleasant wife, and had an abiding love for animals. All that was to change, however, when he fell under the influence of demon alcohol. The first symptom of his descent into addiction and even...
Symbols are a key component of Edgar Allen Poe's dark tale, particularly the following ones. 1. The black cat:More than just the title character, the black cat is also an important symbol. Like the bad omen of legend, the narrator believes Pluto and his successor have led him down the path toward insanity and immorality. 2. Alcohol: While the narra...
Love and hate are two key themes in the story. The narrator at first loves his pets and his wife, but as madness takes hold, he comes to loathe or dismiss everything that should be of the utmost importance to him. Other major themes include: 1. Justice and truth: The narrator tries to hide the truth by walling up his wife's body but the voice of th...
Poe's use of language enhances the story's chilling impact. His stark prose is the reason this and his other tales have endured. Key quotes from Poe's work echo its themes. On reality vs. illusion: On loyalty: On superstition: On alcoholism: On transformation and descent into insanity: On murder: On evil:
Once students have read "The Black Cat," teachers can use the following questions to spark discussion or as the basis for an exam or written assignment: 1. Why do you think Poe chose "The Black Cat" as the title for this story? 2. What are the major conflicts? What types of conflict (physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional) do you see in this s...
- Esther Lombardi
The black cat, hideous, hidden behind the wall, cemented in by the narrator himself, is a striking symbol of the decay and corruption of the man’s soul. His guilt, self-hatred, and need for ...
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Analysis. Much like “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Black Cat” follows the narrator’s descent into madness after he proclaims his sanity in the tale’s opening paragraph. Even the narrator acknowledges the “wild” nature of the tale, attempting thereby to separate his mental condition from the events of the plot. The nature of the ...
