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watsonscriticalamalysis.docxRunning head: THE BLACK CAT 2
THE BLACK CAT 2
The Black Cat
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The Black Cat
Edgar Allen Poe was an American literary critic, editor and author. He is known for the short stories that he wrote about mystery. He played a critical part in shaping the American literature as he was one of the earliest individuals to start writing short stories in the country. Born in Boston, He was the second child in his family. The Black Cat is one of the short stories written by the author. The story is widely known for its uniqueness and the manner in which he approached it. Ideally, the short story is praised for its creativity in the manner in which basic social issues in life was approached by the author. Elements of family and pets are clearly stated explaining the importance of having a complete home. The paper entails a critical analysis if the Black Cat.
The author uses the story to explain the ability of the mind of a person to conduct an assessment to itself. It begins y explaining how the narrator in the story realizes that his brain condition is getting worse. He comes to the conclusion that he needs to take action before it becomes late. The psychology of guilt is the main aspect of the story. A murderer commits crime as the crime pursues him to reveal himself (Poe, 1995). This is a critical aspect of the story that explains the ability of the author to approach important issues in life in a creative perspective. The aspect makes the story equally effective as it addresses the necessity of creativity in understanding how topics needs to be approached when it comes to understanding the human mind. Ideally, the short story is a pure element of creativity.
Poe begins the story by the narrator explaining how he lived with a happy family. The family members included the wife and a pet cat. Later on, the narrator begun to take alcohol which was the turning point of his life as things began to change. Alcohol made him to become easily irritated with small issues affecting the family members negatively. “One night, returning home, much intoxicated, from one of my haunts about town, I fancied that the cat avoided my presence.” He also begins quite uneasy among his close friends. Later on, he began becoming verbally abusive to his wife. It did not take long before he began physically abusing his wife (Poe, 1995). Alcohol seemed to have taken control of his life and led him to change his normal habits and become a violent individual. The author addresses the negative effects of alcoholism by explaining the negative effect that it had to the family members of the narrator.
Previously, the narrator used to love his family. His love for the wife was unconditional. He also had deep affection for the cat as he spent not of his time pampering it. The narrator later changes his attitude and begins becoming violent against animals. The aspect led to him hanging the cat. He did the action after he came home drunk. As time passed by, another cat came to live with the family. Soon rage takes over him leading to the narrator killing his wife. The act of violence could be directing to his drinking habits as he changes immediately after he became an alcoholic. When he was sober, he was a loving person towards people and animals. This is a main factor that the narrator attributes to be the cause of his problems as it led to the death of close people around him.
He turns his blame to the spirits that he thinks possess him once he gets drunk. He believes that a supernatural power grabs him and makes him to change his attitudes towards other issues. Later on, Poe reveals on how the narrator was not only violent towards his family but also other animals. Donkeys, apes and dogs were all victims of his violent acts. It is evident that liquor turned his life around but the author seemed to live in denial that spirits were the ones making him to be violent (Poe, 1995). The issue makes him to turn on himself s guilt possesses his life. This is an act that makes him to change the manner in which he perceives things. He in turns on himself and begins cutting himself with a knife.
The theme of loyalty is evident in the short story. At the beginning, the narrator was loyal to the pet cat and his wife. Poe shows the loyalty by explaining how the author used to take care of the family. At some certain point the narrator gorges out the eye of his pet. Despite the cruelty, the pet remained loyal to him. “In the meantime the cat slowly recovered. The socket of the lost eye presented, it is true, a frightful appearance, but he no longer appeared to suffer any pain.” The aspect of loyalty is reflected in the narrator’s wife, the wife remains loyal to her husband despite of his violent nature and his alcoholism habit. The loyalty later cost the family members lives as the narrator killed them. Ideally, Poe exploits the act of loyalty in a unique manner that is quite effective in understanding the manner in which issues need to be approached when it came to dealing with the complexities of alcoholism and family which are key aspects discussed in the short story.
The author applies the first-person point of view. This is a critical aspect that the author uses to explain the story. The narrator is also the person in the story. The issue creates a clear picture of the tory s one understands the insight thoughts of the narrator and also the things that surrounds him. “On the night of the day on which this cruel deed was done, I was aroused from sleep by the cry of fire. The curtains of my bed were in flames.” The application of the technique promotes a clear understanding on how the topic needs to be approached when it comes to addressing critical issues that involves the ability of the author to deal with issues that affect the manner in which they relate with one another. The use of the pronouns such as I and me explains the narrator’s point of view which is a clear factor that makes the to be more interesting to the reader. Therefore, the approach provides a clear understanding to the topic that is being addressed.
Poe applies a Horror fiction in the narration of the story. It is evident that reading through the story creates the element of fear to the reader. At first the story begins y explaining the peaceful nature of the family members. Later on, the horror aspect appears when the narrator becomes a drunkard. The scene in which he gorged out the eyes of the cat created fear as it was an act of brutality. Later on, the narrators murders both the cat and his wife (Poe, 1995). The element of fear is evident in each of the act as the narrator commit the act in a brutal manner. Ideally, the aspect needs to be approached in a unique way because it addresses basic issues that involves family troubles. He explains it through the use of horror as the genre.
The author applies multiple tone in the short story. Reading through the tory, multiple tones continue to appear as the author focuses on other issues. The use of threatening tones is evident in most parts of the narration. The incidence in which the narrator came home drunk led to the creation of the tone. He used to threaten the wife with evil things which seemed to affect the manner in which the author approached basic issues in life. Ideally, it is a critical aspect that made the theme of the tory to be clearer. The use of a sad tone is evident in the scene where the author gorged out an eye of the cat. The cat remained loyalty despite to the brutality which was pure act of evil by the narrator. Therefore, multiple tones are applied in the story.
The author opts for an attractive topic for the story. The Black Cat is a catchy topic that a attention that catches the reader. The word black creates a theme of either fear and violence which is a key aspect that leads the reader to effectively read through the story (Poe, 1995). The topic also explains the element of creativity that Poe had in the narration of his short stories and poetry. Ideally, Poe ensured that he chooses topic that explain the theme of the story and at the same time creates an underlying respect to how the topics needs to be addressed as they were critical issues of concern in this particular case. They lead to a wider understanding on how issues were supposed to be approached and the necessity if broadly conceptualizing relevant topics. Therefore, it creates an acute understanding of the lessons of the short story.
In summary, the paper entails a critical analysis if the Black Cat. The author uses the story to explain the ability of the mind of a person to conduct an assessment to itself. It begins y explaining how the narrator in the story realizes that his brain condition is getting worse. He turns his blame to the spirits that he thinks possess him once he gets drunk. He believes that a supernatural power grabs him and makes him to change his attitudes towards other issues. Later on, Poe reveals on how the narrator was not only violent towards his family but also other animals. Previously, the narrator used to love his family. His love for the wife was unconditional. He also had deep affection for the cat as he spent not of his time pampering it.
References
Poe, E. A. (1995). The black cat, and other stories. Köln
DiYanna, Robert. Literature Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. New York, NY: Mc-Graw Hill, 2007. Print.
