The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe (Book Analysis) E-Book

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• Herausgeber: BrightSummaries.com
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Serie: BrightSummaries.com
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 26

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

Unlock the more straightforward side of The Black Cat with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!

This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe, one of the author’s best-known short stories. It is told from the point of view of an unnamed narrator whose growing alcoholism leads him to believe that his once-beloved black cat has turned against him. Eventually, the narrator’s paranoia drives him to mutilate and kill the cat, after which he is consumed with guilt that only spurs him to commit even more terrible deeds… Edgar Allan Poe was an American short story writer, poet, critic, novelist and editor. He is best known for his stories of mystery and horror, which stand out for their chilling atmosphere and vivid, memorable characters.

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Leseprobe

EDGAR ALLAN POE

AMERICAN WRITER, POET AND CRITIC

Born in Boston in 1809.Died in Baltimore in 1849.Notable works:“The Raven” (1845), poemThe Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841), short storyThe Tell-Tale Heart (1843), short story

Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston in 1809, but grew up primarily in Richmond, Virginia under the care of his foster-father John Allan (American businessman, 1779-1834) a successful tombstone and tobacco merchant. In 1826 he enrolled in the University of Virginia to read ancient and modern languages, but dropped out after his first year due to escalating gambling debts. In 1827 he enlisted in the US Army and published three volumes of poetry which were met with critical indifference. After his dishonourable discharge he made more serious attempts at a literary career, writing for several magazines and periodicals (work which he would continue, for financial support, throughout his life). In 1836 he married his underage cousin Virginia Eliza Clemm (1822-1847) and the marriage was followed by a period of comparative commercial success. His true artistic break came in 1845 when the Evening Mirror published his poem “The Raven”, transforming him into a household name virtually overnight. Success was short-lived, however, and his work as a journalist began to dry up due to strained relationships with his editors and increasing alcoholism. Virginia died of consumption in 1847 and Poe became increasingly unstable following her death. In 1849 he was found wandering the streets of Baltimore, delirious and wearing another man’s clothes; he was rushed to hospital but died shortly afterwards. The exact cause and circumstances of his death remain a mystery, and have only served to enhance his posthumous reputation as a leading light in the Gothic and Dark Romantic traditions.

THE BLACK CAT

POE'S TALE OF OBSESSION AND MURDER

Genre: short storyReference edition: Poe, E. (1933) The Black Cat. Tales of Mystery and Imagination. London: Daily Express Publications. pp. 171-180.1stedition: 1843Themes: guilt, fear, the imp of the perverse, the unreliable narrator, madness, obsession, murder

The Black Cat tells the story of an unnamed narrator and his obsessive relationship with his own cats. Initially fond of his beautiful black cat Pluto, the narrator’s increasing alcoholism makes him paranoid and unpredictable until one morning, while drunk, he mutilates and kills the animal, cutting out its eye and hanging it from a tree in his garden. Subject to numerous misfortunes after the event and haunted by his own guilt, as well as by a second black cat, the narrator is driven to madness and eventually to murder.

The piece deals with many of Poe’s signature themes, including guilt and madness, and features two of his favourite devices: the unreliable narrator (see also The Tell Tale Heart) and the avenging animal (see also “The Raven”).

It was published in the Saturday Evening Post in 1843 to popular acclaim, spawning many imitations and pastiches. It has since become a staple of horror and short story anthologies.

SUMMARY

The Black Cat