Summary of "The Black Cat"
An anonymous narrator describes his terrible, horrific event of which he was the cause of.
This event had terrified, tortured and destroyed him but he tells the story with such great impunity. From an early age the narrator has had a soft spot for the love and compassion of animals. Throughout his childhood he has had a great variety of pets which has taken a toll in his adult life too. As an adult he marries and starts adopting animals. He had birds, Goldfish, a dog, rabbits and a small monkey. But he was mostly fond of his beloved beautiful black cat,
Pluto. Pluto attended him where ever he went and loved him unconditionally. But as the years went by so did his temper and his uncontrollable drinking habits began to cause him to spiral down. This was due to the large quantities of alcohol he consumed. Over taken by the grasp of alcohol he does foolish things that would cause him to regret his decisions afterwards. He takes upon his anger and lashes at his animals. One by one the animals are mistreated by him but at first Pluto wasn’t touched by his owner. Until one day the narrator highly influenced by alcohol grabs Pluto and commits a terrible deed. Pluto gets hung by the owner and the narrator right there just doesn’t stop. He continues to do more horrifying and unforgivable sins brought on by the hatred deep down inside of him. At the end the narrator goes way too far and eventually all is revealed.
This event had terrified, tortured and destroyed him but he tells the story with such great impunity. From an early age the narrator has had a soft spot for the love and compassion of animals. Throughout his childhood he has had a great variety of pets which has taken a toll in his adult life too. As an adult he marries and starts adopting animals. He had birds, Goldfish, a dog, rabbits and a small monkey. But he was mostly fond of his beloved beautiful black cat,
Pluto. Pluto attended him where ever he went and loved him unconditionally. But as the years went by so did his temper and his uncontrollable drinking habits began to cause him to spiral down. This was due to the large quantities of alcohol he consumed. Over taken by the grasp of alcohol he does foolish things that would cause him to regret his decisions afterwards. He takes upon his anger and lashes at his animals. One by one the animals are mistreated by him but at first Pluto wasn’t touched by his owner. Until one day the narrator highly influenced by alcohol grabs Pluto and commits a terrible deed. Pluto gets hung by the owner and the narrator right there just doesn’t stop. He continues to do more horrifying and unforgivable sins brought on by the hatred deep down inside of him. At the end the narrator goes way too far and eventually all is revealed.
Literary Elements of "The Black Cat"
In the story of "The black cat" the author uses imagery, First point of view, setting, situation irony and indirect characterization. For such an interesting story the author makes the story come alive using setting and dialog. The setting was describe as almost peaceful, loving place until the narrator's attitude made it dark and incapable of withstanding. The story contains such
wonder dialog that makes the story even better. The author choses to use indirect characterization because the narrator opens up by saying how he was as a person. He says that he had a soft spot for animals ever since he was little. He also goes on to say he was most happy when feeding and caring for them. However, he also admits to his temper and drunkenness. This shows that the author indented for the readers to know about the narrator. It gives readers an
inside fact on the character behavioral is. The story contains imagery which is described really well in the story because the readers are able to visualize what is happening. In the Black cat
the author uses foreshadowing to highlight what is going to happen. In the beginning of the story the narrator says, “For the most wild, yet most homely narrative which I am about to pen, I neither expect nor solicit belief”. This hints at the horrific events yet to take place. Without these elements the story just wouldn’t be possible.
wonder dialog that makes the story even better. The author choses to use indirect characterization because the narrator opens up by saying how he was as a person. He says that he had a soft spot for animals ever since he was little. He also goes on to say he was most happy when feeding and caring for them. However, he also admits to his temper and drunkenness. This shows that the author indented for the readers to know about the narrator. It gives readers an
inside fact on the character behavioral is. The story contains imagery which is described really well in the story because the readers are able to visualize what is happening. In the Black cat
the author uses foreshadowing to highlight what is going to happen. In the beginning of the story the narrator says, “For the most wild, yet most homely narrative which I am about to pen, I neither expect nor solicit belief”. This hints at the horrific events yet to take place. Without these elements the story just wouldn’t be possible.
Review of "The Black Cat"
An unforgivable act of cruelty touches off a chilling series of events in Edgar Allen Poe’s 1843 story "The Black Cat". The narrator of Poe’s tale owns many pets with his wife and thinks of himself as an animal lover. His alcoholism, however, brings out a violent streak in him. After an initial drunken episode in which he tortures one of his pets, a black cat, the narrator comes home drunk again and terrorizes the same helpless creature, killing it in a gruesome and shocking manner. Not long after this heinous crime, the narrator and his wife begin noticing strange and terrifying phenomena around them. Their house catches on fire suddenly and, amid the smoking ruins, one wall remains standing. The narrator and his wife are shocked to find that there, on the wall, is the image of the murdered cat. Can the cat be haunting them? Is it seeking revenge for its tragic death? As they soon find, this will not be the end of the animal’s supernatural quest for retribution. Although he may seek to put his horrible act behind him, the narrator learns that the black cat will never let him forget.
tp://www.dailylit.com/books/black-cat
tp://www.dailylit.com/books/black-cat
"The Black Cat" Connected to the Real World
This story is connected to real life event in India. A 37 year-old man surrendered before police on Sunday morning admitting to have murdered his wife. Babu, the accused, said to have committed the murder after consuming alcohol from the nearby centre of the beverages corporation. The body of his wife, Minnu, 29, was found at a shed at Chembilathattu. Alcohol makes you think or do things that you will regret later on like killing a love one like how the narrator killed his wife because his hatred for the black cat and he was an alcoholic.
Link- timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/17366650.cms
Link- timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/17366650.cms
"The Black Cat" is related to this poem because there was death all around the story from him killing his pets, the cat being hung, and him slaughtering his own wife. The narrator loved his pets and wife, because of alcoholic he killed them and so death is love in one way. Also, the narrator is sentence to death by hanging at the end of the story and so death is what you will receive when you deserve it.
"The Black Cat" is related to the song Hello by Evanescence, because in this song it is about a woman not breathing and in the story the wife is killed so she is not breathing. The song reflects the mood of "The Black Cat" in many ways. The story is creepy and the song is also creepy because of the slow pace. Another way is the story is full of shame and the song is about how the songwriter is ashamed of her sister's death at such a young age.
"The Black Cat" in a Real Life Event
Ex-military man who killed mom, pets in shooting rampage charged
HOUSTON –A Houston mother, who was shot eight times by her own son during a shooting rampage Wednesday night, has died from her injuries, according to Houston police. James Allen Rogers, 26, was charged with murder in the death of his mother Reyna Rogers. He also allegedly killed the family’s two pets.
James Rogers was home with his mother and brother at the Willowick Court Apartments, located on Las Palmas at West Main, around 9:30 p.m.
For some reason he snapped and opened fire; shooting his 50-year-old mother eight times in the chest area and possibly also in the face, according to police. He also allegedly shot a dog and cat.Link-http://www.khou.com/news/crime/HPD-Ex-military-man-with-arsenal-in-home-shoots-mother-8-times-kills-cat-and-dog-137173733.html
The narrator used to have many wonderful pets that he was proud of, but one he just snapped like the ex-military man above. He didn't like how Pluto the first black cat acted so calm around him after he stabbed one of his eyes out when his had a little too much to drink that day, so he decided one day to hang the cat in the backyard to get rid of him. Then he was walking one day and found a new black cat similar to Pluto but had a white spot. His wife loved the new cat so much she kept the cat, and one day the narrator was trying to kill the cat with an axe, but his wife came and protected the cat, so she was killed first.
HOUSTON –A Houston mother, who was shot eight times by her own son during a shooting rampage Wednesday night, has died from her injuries, according to Houston police. James Allen Rogers, 26, was charged with murder in the death of his mother Reyna Rogers. He also allegedly killed the family’s two pets.
James Rogers was home with his mother and brother at the Willowick Court Apartments, located on Las Palmas at West Main, around 9:30 p.m.
For some reason he snapped and opened fire; shooting his 50-year-old mother eight times in the chest area and possibly also in the face, according to police. He also allegedly shot a dog and cat.Link-http://www.khou.com/news/crime/HPD-Ex-military-man-with-arsenal-in-home-shoots-mother-8-times-kills-cat-and-dog-137173733.html
The narrator used to have many wonderful pets that he was proud of, but one he just snapped like the ex-military man above. He didn't like how Pluto the first black cat acted so calm around him after he stabbed one of his eyes out when his had a little too much to drink that day, so he decided one day to hang the cat in the backyard to get rid of him. Then he was walking one day and found a new black cat similar to Pluto but had a white spot. His wife loved the new cat so much she kept the cat, and one day the narrator was trying to kill the cat with an axe, but his wife came and protected the cat, so she was killed first.
Persuasive Reasoning
The Black Cat should be included in a 9th grade English literature textbook, because even though the story was sad and depressing, it still made the reader want to read on. The cruel actions of the narrator while he was under the influence of alcohol appealed to the reader's emotions, to make them feel sorry for the innocent animals. This shows how alcohol can negatively impact a person's actions and alter their behavior, making them unaware of what they're doing.
The story has many minor lessons in it, but the main moral of the story is criminal are always bound to be punished. The whole story plays out in a devilish way. In the beginning of the story, it seems the man is in a loving marriage and has a great love for animals, but as the story unfolds the man consumes alcohol and the devil inside of him is forced to come out in an intensified form. This irony is something which will keep the teenagers interested. This story includes a great amount of evil and the story, itself is very dramatic, Every little action builds doubt and raises questions. The suspense is phenomenal."The Black Cat" is not only something interesting to read, but it will leave a certain something behind in not only a teenager's, but also in a grown adult's mind.
The story has many minor lessons in it, but the main moral of the story is criminal are always bound to be punished. The whole story plays out in a devilish way. In the beginning of the story, it seems the man is in a loving marriage and has a great love for animals, but as the story unfolds the man consumes alcohol and the devil inside of him is forced to come out in an intensified form. This irony is something which will keep the teenagers interested. This story includes a great amount of evil and the story, itself is very dramatic, Every little action builds doubt and raises questions. The suspense is phenomenal."The Black Cat" is not only something interesting to read, but it will leave a certain something behind in not only a teenager's, but also in a grown adult's mind.