Unified Themes Essay
Stephen Casey
English 101
Moran
11/6/13
Unified Themes Essay
Any person can tell that Edgar Allen Poe does a great job drawing in the reader by using specific themes to add effect his short stories, The Cask of the Amontillado, Hop Frog, and the Tell-Tale Heart. The use of theme in his short stories makes the reader want more. His use of revenge in his short stories makes the reader more curious and raises the level of suspense. Poe does well in using revenge to keep the reader engaged. The narrator’s view in each of the story gives you the main character’s view of the story, which creates a bias towards that character. In some stories the reader will feel the murder was justified.
First, Hop-Frog is the story of a crippled Jester who was pushed to the point to murder. “His fool, or professional jester, was not only a fool, however. His value was trebled in the eyes of the king, by the fact of his being also a dwarf and a cripple.” Hop Frog is a professional jester whose job is to humor the king by being a fool. One evening the King had decided to have a masquerade and have Hop-Frog and his dwarf friend, Trippetta, organize the characters and costumes for the party. After he summons both of them the king makes Hop Frog drink a “goblet” of wine. After they are all intoxicated, Hop Frog planned to get revenge on the king and seven other cabinet members. He tricks them into chaining themselves for the people attending the masquerade, and make them look like great beasts. Hop Frog chains them up and covers them completely in tar and flax. Once the party starts, Hop Frog raises the “Eight Chained Ourang-Outangs” thirty feet in the air and proceeds to set them on fire. He then climbs back up the chains and escapes out a window and disappeared with Trippetta.
The theme of revenge in Hop-Frog plays a big role in how the story plays out. The use of revenge as a theme in this story does a great job at keeping the reader engaged into the story. It makes the reader
English 101
Moran
11/6/13
Unified Themes Essay
Any person can tell that Edgar Allen Poe does a great job drawing in the reader by using specific themes to add effect his short stories, The Cask of the Amontillado, Hop Frog, and the Tell-Tale Heart. The use of theme in his short stories makes the reader want more. His use of revenge in his short stories makes the reader more curious and raises the level of suspense. Poe does well in using revenge to keep the reader engaged. The narrator’s view in each of the story gives you the main character’s view of the story, which creates a bias towards that character. In some stories the reader will feel the murder was justified.
First, Hop-Frog is the story of a crippled Jester who was pushed to the point to murder. “His fool, or professional jester, was not only a fool, however. His value was trebled in the eyes of the king, by the fact of his being also a dwarf and a cripple.” Hop Frog is a professional jester whose job is to humor the king by being a fool. One evening the King had decided to have a masquerade and have Hop-Frog and his dwarf friend, Trippetta, organize the characters and costumes for the party. After he summons both of them the king makes Hop Frog drink a “goblet” of wine. After they are all intoxicated, Hop Frog planned to get revenge on the king and seven other cabinet members. He tricks them into chaining themselves for the people attending the masquerade, and make them look like great beasts. Hop Frog chains them up and covers them completely in tar and flax. Once the party starts, Hop Frog raises the “Eight Chained Ourang-Outangs” thirty feet in the air and proceeds to set them on fire. He then climbs back up the chains and escapes out a window and disappeared with Trippetta.
The theme of revenge in Hop-Frog plays a big role in how the story plays out. The use of revenge as a theme in this story does a great job at keeping the reader engaged into the story. It makes the reader