Is Montresor A Sociopath
John Smith
Instructor Clark
ENG 231-01
19 October 2010
Review of “Montresor, the Sociopath” One of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous and best-crafted stories is “The Cask of Amontillado,” which recounts the sadistic revenge that the narrator Montresor exacts upon his rival Fortunato. One point in the story that readers often ponder is whether Montresor is sane or insane. In his critical essay “Montresor, the Sociopath,” James Holte builds a case for insanity, arguing that Montresor is, in fact, a sociopath. Holte begins his article by reviewing some of the critical history of the story, focusing on varying interpretations of Montresor’s mental state and motivation. Then, drawing upon clinical definitions of sociopathology, Holte begins developing his case for Montresor’s being a sociopath. One of the characteristics of a sociopath, notes Holte, is paranoia, and he claims that “Montresor clearly demonstrates paranoia with his opening …show more content…
He demonstrates not only a familiarity with critical history of the story, but also very effectively applies modern psychological classification to Montresor. And he supports his argument very compellingly with ample evidence from the story, such as pointing out the extremity of Montresor’s revenge and his lack of remorse for killing Fortunato. Of course, one can debate whether or not Montresor feels remorse for the murder; nevertheless, Holte does make a persuasive argument. Besides the plausibility of his thesis, I also like how Holte is able to take a work of literature from the 1800s and make it relevant today. Additionally, I also found Holte’s writing style engaging and accessible; it was actually a very enjoyable read. While I do not believe there is any such thing as one definitive interpretation for any literary work, especially one of Poe’s, I must say that James Holte’s essay has both increased my understanding of and appreciation for “The Cask of
Instructor Clark
ENG 231-01
19 October 2010
Review of “Montresor, the Sociopath” One of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous and best-crafted stories is “The Cask of Amontillado,” which recounts the sadistic revenge that the narrator Montresor exacts upon his rival Fortunato. One point in the story that readers often ponder is whether Montresor is sane or insane. In his critical essay “Montresor, the Sociopath,” James Holte builds a case for insanity, arguing that Montresor is, in fact, a sociopath. Holte begins his article by reviewing some of the critical history of the story, focusing on varying interpretations of Montresor’s mental state and motivation. Then, drawing upon clinical definitions of sociopathology, Holte begins developing his case for Montresor’s being a sociopath. One of the characteristics of a sociopath, notes Holte, is paranoia, and he claims that “Montresor clearly demonstrates paranoia with his opening …show more content…
He demonstrates not only a familiarity with critical history of the story, but also very effectively applies modern psychological classification to Montresor. And he supports his argument very compellingly with ample evidence from the story, such as pointing out the extremity of Montresor’s revenge and his lack of remorse for killing Fortunato. Of course, one can debate whether or not Montresor feels remorse for the murder; nevertheless, Holte does make a persuasive argument. Besides the plausibility of his thesis, I also like how Holte is able to take a work of literature from the 1800s and make it relevant today. Additionally, I also found Holte’s writing style engaging and accessible; it was actually a very enjoyable read. While I do not believe there is any such thing as one definitive interpretation for any literary work, especially one of Poe’s, I must say that James Holte’s essay has both increased my understanding of and appreciation for “The Cask of