The black cat
The black cat essay Sept, 23, 2013
The nature of perverseness Is shown throughout Edgar Allen Poe’s “the Black cat” as the man has practically been completely deprived of his emotions and mental stability due to his alcoholism rendering him just a vessel of his former self. This is shown through symbolism of burning house post death of Pluto, first cat. This again after meeting the new cat and the insanity he feels from seeing the gallows represented on the white fur. Finally it is seen again when the authorities show up and he is willfully determined to go counter what is expected or desired by not doing the righteous thing. The alcoholism has taken his righteous soul away and replaced it with aggression and nothingness.
In the black cat Edgar Allen Poe has used the effect of “symbolism” to show the readers of the demise of the main character. The effects of symbolism are first seen in the short story when the main characters alcoholism and lose of humanity lead to killing his beloved cat. After the horrific murder a strange unknown fire has burnt his house to the ground and even worse an extreme suggestion as towards Pluto’s revenge as side of the burnt house was charred in the shape of a black cat like Pluto. “As if graven in bas relief upon the white surface, the figure of a gigantic cat.”(Page 218) The symbolism behind the black charred cat could refer to the fact onyx (black) cats have long connoted bad luck and misfortune. So by killing Pluto our main character has issued himself a potential curse to an extent. The name Pluto is also the name of the roman god of the underworld. Pluto contributes to a strong sense of hell and may even symbolize the devil himself. As well later in the story the white splash on the new black cat symbolizes the mysteriously taken shape of the gallows, the structure of which the hanging takes place. The fur also symbolizes the suppressed guilt that
The nature of perverseness Is shown throughout Edgar Allen Poe’s “the Black cat” as the man has practically been completely deprived of his emotions and mental stability due to his alcoholism rendering him just a vessel of his former self. This is shown through symbolism of burning house post death of Pluto, first cat. This again after meeting the new cat and the insanity he feels from seeing the gallows represented on the white fur. Finally it is seen again when the authorities show up and he is willfully determined to go counter what is expected or desired by not doing the righteous thing. The alcoholism has taken his righteous soul away and replaced it with aggression and nothingness.
In the black cat Edgar Allen Poe has used the effect of “symbolism” to show the readers of the demise of the main character. The effects of symbolism are first seen in the short story when the main characters alcoholism and lose of humanity lead to killing his beloved cat. After the horrific murder a strange unknown fire has burnt his house to the ground and even worse an extreme suggestion as towards Pluto’s revenge as side of the burnt house was charred in the shape of a black cat like Pluto. “As if graven in bas relief upon the white surface, the figure of a gigantic cat.”(Page 218) The symbolism behind the black charred cat could refer to the fact onyx (black) cats have long connoted bad luck and misfortune. So by killing Pluto our main character has issued himself a potential curse to an extent. The name Pluto is also the name of the roman god of the underworld. Pluto contributes to a strong sense of hell and may even symbolize the devil himself. As well later in the story the white splash on the new black cat symbolizes the mysteriously taken shape of the gallows, the structure of which the hanging takes place. The fur also symbolizes the suppressed guilt that