The Black Cat Analysis Essay
Literary Analysis of “The Black Cat” and “The Masque of the Red Death”
"No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its avatar and its seal- the redness and the horror of blood" (1). Edgar Allan Poe was a master of the macabre; his very stories injecting fear into the hearts of his readers. Poe's life was filled with tragedy, as several of the important women in his life, including his wife and daughter died at a young age. He utilized poems and books to express that tragedy. The short stories, "The Black Cat," and, "The Masque of the Red Death," both written by Poe, enhance the theme of fear. "The Black Cat," was about a narrator who had gone crazy and was so overcome by guilt that he went to extreme measures including …show more content…
murder. "The Masque of the Red Death," was about The Red Death, the most dangerous disease ever, and its penchant for going around and ending lives. In both texts, Poe uses diction to create the theme of fear, description to portray the characterization, setting to influence the theme of fear and describes the external and internal conflicts felt by the characters.
In both “The Black Cat,” and “The Masque of the Red Death,” the diction used develops the theme of fear amidst the characters.
In “The Black Cat,” there are words such as “horror” (1), “murder” (6) and “gore” (6), all of which emphasized the narrator’s insanity and his fear of the cat, which he thought he must remove. His abhorrence of the cat grew when it, “inflicted a slight wound upon my hand with his teeth” (5). The constant fear caused the narrator to feel like he was possessed by a demon, with his original soul now gone, substituted by a “fiendish malevolence” (5). Clearly, the narrator is someone who has qualms about everything and was mentally unsound. Additionally the narrator had a growing suspicion of his cat referring to it as a “monster” (5) and a “burden on my soul,” (5). These thoughts demonstrate that the narrator felt like the cat knew of his hideous deed and it caused him much guilt, even though the cat didn’t. The demonic diction contrasts with, “The Masque of the Red Death,” as Poe initially uses words such as “happy” (1), “palaces” (1) and “magnificent” (1), to suggest the Prince Prospero doesn’t seem to care much about the dangers of the terrible disease--the Red Death--but instead wants to focus on having a good time and partying when throughout his kingdom, the Red Death was claiming many lives. The happy setting originally portrays that the palace of Prince Prospero is a much safer and joyful place than the deranged lair of the narrator in “The …show more content…
Black Cat,” and it seems like the people inside the palace are much more exuberant and happy than the narrator in “The Black Cat.” However, the joy and contentedness felt by the partygoers quickly turned to trepidation, when the Red Death shows up at one of Prince Prospero’s lavish celebrations. When this mysterious figure arrived at the party, the guests were filled with “horror” (7), “terror (7) as the Red Death emanated and brought with him, “blood” (8) and “death” (9). The scared diction shows the terror that the guests felt when the Red Death showed up and when he began “dropping the revelers one by one in the blood-bedewed halls” (10). They were petrified, in what was a stark contrast from their spirited natures at the beginning. In both texts, Poe used specific diction and dark and dreary words to create fear within the characters.
In both texts, Poe uses description to detail the characters and portray their characterization.
In “The Black Cat” the narrator is shown as an insane and superstitious character. His insanity was evident when he felt, “absolute dread of the beast” (4), which was his cat, when he “slipped a noose about its neck and hung it to the limb of a tree” (3), and when he later went on to “bury the axe in her [his wife’s] brain” (5), when she tried to stop him from murdering another cat. The narrator’s unstable mind compares to “The Masque of the Red Death” as Poe also portrays Prince Prospero as insane but in a different way. The prince was not a murderous, bloodthirsty creature, but a carefree person who did not seem to care for the Red Death, a devastating disease who brought death wherever it traveled. Prospero was “happy and dauntless and sagacious” (1) and felt that “the external world would take care of itself” (1) and also thought that, “it was folly to grieve, or think” (1). Prospero’s carefree thoughts show that the scope of his insanity was not only placing his life in danger, but the lives of all his subjects as well. The jeopardy Prince Prospero placed his guests in compares to “The Black Cat” as the narrator also placed the life of his wife in danger with his superstitions and his tendencies to gravitate towards extreme measures. As he felt that his wife was taking the side of the cat, the narrator, one day decided to try and murder the cat, but instead ended up
murdering his wife as she tried to stop him. Clearly, in both texts Poe uses description to show the true characterization of the characters, not the façade on the outside.
Poe also used the setting of the two texts, to influence the theme of the two texts. The setting in “The Masque of the Red Death” was the palace of Prince Prospero, which was “an extensive and magnificent structure,” (1). However, in Prospero’s country, there was a disease, a Red Death. It was marked by blood and managed to kill a person very quickly. The one thing that could not be found in Prospero’s palace was the Red Death. The setting of “The Masque of the Red Death” affects the thematic purpose because it shows that there were two different states in this country. The one found in the grand palace, was one of lavishness and exquisiteness while the Red Death lurked in the other half of the country. The wide difference in the setting creates a mood and tone which also differ. In Prospero’s palace the tone is festive, as it was a “gay and magnificent revel” (3), while outside the palace was strewn with bodies everywhere. In the end, the two settings converge and the Red Death decides to pay a visit to Prospero’s splendid party. Prospero confronted the Red Death, but was eventually killed as “the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all,” (10). The setting of “The Masque of the Red Death,” compares with the setting of “The Black Cat.” The setting of the story is the narrator’s house, which is a rather eerie location. The narrator’s house was the site of several murders, including his cat and his wife. The bedroom of his house plays an important role in his house as it held the image of a “gigantic cat” (11). The image foreshadowed that the cat would be in the wall and then come back to haunt the narrator. Clearly, Poe used the setting of the two texts to convey the message and theme of dread.
Finally, Poe described the external and internal conflicts that the character faced throughout his short stories. In both “The Black Cat” and “The Masque of the Red Death” not only do the characters face outside obstacles but also internal torments. In “The Black Cat” the narrator faces a battle with his own mind. The battle that he faced in his head was portrayed when he felt that his soul had to “vex itself” (2), and to “do wrong for the wrong’s sake only” (2) and then proceeded to hang his cat, Pluto. It clearly demonstrates that the narrator has no control over his mind and would do whatever he could do please and satisfy his conscience. Another internal conflict that the narrator faced was that a second cat, he found, was there to haunt him. The discovery of this additional cat prompted him to “hate all things” (4) and think “dark and evil thoughts” (4). The conflict felt by the narrator contrasts with “The Masque of the Red Death” as Prince Prospero faces an external conflict in the destructive disease known as the Red Death. The Red Death was the most hideous disease ever to strike the country. It started off with “sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores” (1). Now, while Prince Prospero was not initially concerned with this dangerous epidemic, he would soon fear for his life when a mysterious figure who “dabbled in blood” (8), and “out –Heroded Herod” (8) arrived at the party. The prince went to confront him and drew his dagger, but “there was a sharp cry- and the dagger dropped gleaming upon the sable carpet, upon which, instantly afterward, fell prostrate in the death of Prince Prospero” (8). The Red Death then proceeded to kill everyone else holding “illimitable dominion over all” (10). Those were the conflicts, internal and external, faced by the characters in both texts.
In both texts- “The Black Cat” and “The Masque of the Red Death”- Poe uses diction to create the theme of fear, description to portray the characterization and the external and internal conflicts felt by the characters. As one can see, Edgar Allan Poe was a genius in his carefully put together masterpieces which inflicted fear in the hearts of all.
"No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its avatar and its seal- the redness and the horror of blood" (1). Edgar Allan Poe was a master of the macabre; his very stories injecting fear into the hearts of his readers. Poe's life was filled with tragedy, as several of the important women in his life, including his wife and daughter died at a young age. He utilized poems and books to express that tragedy. The short stories, "The Black Cat," and, "The Masque of the Red Death," both written by Poe, enhance the theme of fear. "The Black Cat," was about a narrator who had gone crazy and was so overcome by guilt that he went to extreme measures including …show more content…
murder. "The Masque of the Red Death," was about The Red Death, the most dangerous disease ever, and its penchant for going around and ending lives. In both texts, Poe uses diction to create the theme of fear, description to portray the characterization, setting to influence the theme of fear and describes the external and internal conflicts felt by the characters.
In both “The Black Cat,” and “The Masque of the Red Death,” the diction used develops the theme of fear amidst the characters.
In “The Black Cat,” there are words such as “horror” (1), “murder” (6) and “gore” (6), all of which emphasized the narrator’s insanity and his fear of the cat, which he thought he must remove. His abhorrence of the cat grew when it, “inflicted a slight wound upon my hand with his teeth” (5). The constant fear caused the narrator to feel like he was possessed by a demon, with his original soul now gone, substituted by a “fiendish malevolence” (5). Clearly, the narrator is someone who has qualms about everything and was mentally unsound. Additionally the narrator had a growing suspicion of his cat referring to it as a “monster” (5) and a “burden on my soul,” (5). These thoughts demonstrate that the narrator felt like the cat knew of his hideous deed and it caused him much guilt, even though the cat didn’t. The demonic diction contrasts with, “The Masque of the Red Death,” as Poe initially uses words such as “happy” (1), “palaces” (1) and “magnificent” (1), to suggest the Prince Prospero doesn’t seem to care much about the dangers of the terrible disease--the Red Death--but instead wants to focus on having a good time and partying when throughout his kingdom, the Red Death was claiming many lives. The happy setting originally portrays that the palace of Prince Prospero is a much safer and joyful place than the deranged lair of the narrator in “The …show more content…
Black Cat,” and it seems like the people inside the palace are much more exuberant and happy than the narrator in “The Black Cat.” However, the joy and contentedness felt by the partygoers quickly turned to trepidation, when the Red Death shows up at one of Prince Prospero’s lavish celebrations. When this mysterious figure arrived at the party, the guests were filled with “horror” (7), “terror (7) as the Red Death emanated and brought with him, “blood” (8) and “death” (9). The scared diction shows the terror that the guests felt when the Red Death showed up and when he began “dropping the revelers one by one in the blood-bedewed halls” (10). They were petrified, in what was a stark contrast from their spirited natures at the beginning. In both texts, Poe used specific diction and dark and dreary words to create fear within the characters.
In both texts, Poe uses description to detail the characters and portray their characterization.
In “The Black Cat” the narrator is shown as an insane and superstitious character. His insanity was evident when he felt, “absolute dread of the beast” (4), which was his cat, when he “slipped a noose about its neck and hung it to the limb of a tree” (3), and when he later went on to “bury the axe in her [his wife’s] brain” (5), when she tried to stop him from murdering another cat. The narrator’s unstable mind compares to “The Masque of the Red Death” as Poe also portrays Prince Prospero as insane but in a different way. The prince was not a murderous, bloodthirsty creature, but a carefree person who did not seem to care for the Red Death, a devastating disease who brought death wherever it traveled. Prospero was “happy and dauntless and sagacious” (1) and felt that “the external world would take care of itself” (1) and also thought that, “it was folly to grieve, or think” (1). Prospero’s carefree thoughts show that the scope of his insanity was not only placing his life in danger, but the lives of all his subjects as well. The jeopardy Prince Prospero placed his guests in compares to “The Black Cat” as the narrator also placed the life of his wife in danger with his superstitions and his tendencies to gravitate towards extreme measures. As he felt that his wife was taking the side of the cat, the narrator, one day decided to try and murder the cat, but instead ended up
murdering his wife as she tried to stop him. Clearly, in both texts Poe uses description to show the true characterization of the characters, not the façade on the outside.
Poe also used the setting of the two texts, to influence the theme of the two texts. The setting in “The Masque of the Red Death” was the palace of Prince Prospero, which was “an extensive and magnificent structure,” (1). However, in Prospero’s country, there was a disease, a Red Death. It was marked by blood and managed to kill a person very quickly. The one thing that could not be found in Prospero’s palace was the Red Death. The setting of “The Masque of the Red Death” affects the thematic purpose because it shows that there were two different states in this country. The one found in the grand palace, was one of lavishness and exquisiteness while the Red Death lurked in the other half of the country. The wide difference in the setting creates a mood and tone which also differ. In Prospero’s palace the tone is festive, as it was a “gay and magnificent revel” (3), while outside the palace was strewn with bodies everywhere. In the end, the two settings converge and the Red Death decides to pay a visit to Prospero’s splendid party. Prospero confronted the Red Death, but was eventually killed as “the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all,” (10). The setting of “The Masque of the Red Death,” compares with the setting of “The Black Cat.” The setting of the story is the narrator’s house, which is a rather eerie location. The narrator’s house was the site of several murders, including his cat and his wife. The bedroom of his house plays an important role in his house as it held the image of a “gigantic cat” (11). The image foreshadowed that the cat would be in the wall and then come back to haunt the narrator. Clearly, Poe used the setting of the two texts to convey the message and theme of dread.
Finally, Poe described the external and internal conflicts that the character faced throughout his short stories. In both “The Black Cat” and “The Masque of the Red Death” not only do the characters face outside obstacles but also internal torments. In “The Black Cat” the narrator faces a battle with his own mind. The battle that he faced in his head was portrayed when he felt that his soul had to “vex itself” (2), and to “do wrong for the wrong’s sake only” (2) and then proceeded to hang his cat, Pluto. It clearly demonstrates that the narrator has no control over his mind and would do whatever he could do please and satisfy his conscience. Another internal conflict that the narrator faced was that a second cat, he found, was there to haunt him. The discovery of this additional cat prompted him to “hate all things” (4) and think “dark and evil thoughts” (4). The conflict felt by the narrator contrasts with “The Masque of the Red Death” as Prince Prospero faces an external conflict in the destructive disease known as the Red Death. The Red Death was the most hideous disease ever to strike the country. It started off with “sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores” (1). Now, while Prince Prospero was not initially concerned with this dangerous epidemic, he would soon fear for his life when a mysterious figure who “dabbled in blood” (8), and “out –Heroded Herod” (8) arrived at the party. The prince went to confront him and drew his dagger, but “there was a sharp cry- and the dagger dropped gleaming upon the sable carpet, upon which, instantly afterward, fell prostrate in the death of Prince Prospero” (8). The Red Death then proceeded to kill everyone else holding “illimitable dominion over all” (10). Those were the conflicts, internal and external, faced by the characters in both texts.
In both texts- “The Black Cat” and “The Masque of the Red Death”- Poe uses diction to create the theme of fear, description to portray the characterization and the external and internal conflicts felt by the characters. As one can see, Edgar Allan Poe was a genius in his carefully put together masterpieces which inflicted fear in the hearts of all.