Annotated Bibliography: The Cask Of Amontillado

Holland 1

Catherine E. Holland
Mrs. Wilder
English 1302 WMW1
8 April 2012
Annotated Bibliography: “The Cask of Amontillado”
Baraban, Elena V. “E.V. Baraban: Murder in “The Cask of Amontillado.”” RMMLA Homepage. Rocky Mountain Review, 28 Oct. 2004. Web. 05 Apr. 2012. Though murder is the centerpiece of “The Cask of Amontillado,” it is not typical of mysteries with similar subject matter, because the murderer tells the reader how he commits his crime. Poe leaves the reader with many questions. The story, according Baraban, centers around the mystery of why Montressor feels compelled to kill. The reader must first answer other questions to make this determination. Has Montressor truly fulfilled his desire to avenge Fortunato
's insult, since he fails to make himself felt as such to his victim? Why, if he is set on getting revenge through murder, does Montressor try — throughout the story — to compel Fortunato to reverse course? Why does he bid a fond farewell to his victim, if not for the conflict he feels? For all readers, Baraban offers a roadmap into the minds of Poe and his protagonist.
Buranelli, Vincent. “Critical Views on "The Cask of Amontillado.”” Edgar Allan Poe: Comprehensive Research and Study Guide. EBook ed. Chelsea House, 1999. 59. EBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 8 Apr. 2012. Despite that it is Fortunato 's vanity that ultimately seals his fate, and that Montressor plans and Holland 2

carries out a heinous crime, Buranelli claims that the terrible deeds are matters of psychology and not of ethics (59). Although Buranelli offers an intriguing angle, Poe 's storyline is heavily dependent upon on ethics, illustrated by the victim 's previous violent and insulting behavior toward his killer, and the killer 's apparent conflict after leaving his friend to die.
Gilder, J. L., and J. B. Gilder, eds. "The Critic." Mystery in Fiction and Real Life 5.105 (1886): 10. Print. Perhaps the real slight of hand illustrated by the author in this fictional story is the way Poe draws from real-life emotions.
As pointed out by Gilder, we have all experienced the sentiment expressed in this short story, and don 't immediately know how to process it. By this means, Gilder claims that Pow asserts and exercises a strong influence over the reader 's imagination (10). Long after reading “The Cask of Amontillado,” the journey continues as the questions continue to rear their heads, and much of that is because of the real-life emotions experienced by the characters.
Hawkins, Willard E. “Fiction “Phases.”” The Editor: The Journal of Information for Literary Workers 37.5 (1913): 131. Print. Hawkins interprets that many of Montressor 's feelings are “left up to the imagination (131),” but ultimately asserts that Poe wraps up the story because “The first phase [of the story] shows a consuming desire, the last phase shows the desire satisfied (131).” Hawkins apparently does not view Montressor 's fond farewell to his victim as a conflict, which begs more questions. Reynolds, David S. “On “The Cask of Amontillado.”” Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Robert DiYanni. 6th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2007. 183-84.
Print. Reynolds attests that Poe shifts attention to psychological subtleties to focus on the sly ploy of Holland 3

the protagonist (184). Montressor uses reverses psychology on his intended victim to lure him to the place where he would be buried alive. Not once in the story does Montressor invite Fortunato to the wine vaults beneath his home. As well, Reynolds points out that the murder victim does all of the pushing, while the killer repeatedly gives reasons why the journey into the cellar should be called off (184). Though this is probably the most discernable irony of this story on a first read, Reynolds explains it thoroughly and supports his thesis.