How The Black Cat Encompasses Dark Romantic Ideals in Pre-Civil War Era America
There are multiple ways in which Dark Romantics can be differentiated from the greater whole of American society during the early to mid-1800s. Unlike their predecessors, the Dark Romantics believed that humans were intrinsically sinful, and prone to self-destruction. Their pieces also include overriding themes of mystery, death, and the macabre. Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat, is a prime example of a Dark Romantic piece, as it encompasses the niche community’s core principles, and how they viewed ethical dilemmas. The literary scene in pre-civil war America seemed to be split into two distinctly different factions: the optimistic Transcendentalists,