man removes Pluto's eye with a knife, he is remorseful, but his feeling of guilt quickly
manifests itself as irritation (para. 9). The cat's fear of the man is a constant reminder of
the horrible deed that he has performed, and he begins to project his hatred of self onto
his disfigured cat. As his notions of remorse further deteriorate his unsound mind, he
destroys the object and source of his offense. With guilt eating away at his conscious, the
man's sanity falls further into degradation, and he unleashes his cruelty on an innocent
victim. The narrator describes the force of destruction that drives him as "the spirit of
Perverseness", and this impulse causes him to remorsefully hang the cat because he
knows that it loves him and it is an act he should not commit (para.9). According to
Michael L Burduck. Grim Phantasms: Fear in Poe's Short Fiction "The Cask of
Amontillado" is one of Poe's most well-known horror stories. It is fascinating in its theme
and masterful in its tightly woven symbolism and contrast. Only three names are
mentioned in the work, Fortunato, Luchresi, and Montressor, all three of which are
suggestive of treasure. Two of these names are Italian, from which are derived the words
"fortunate" and "lucrative," while the third is of French origin. The most dry sherry
produced by the mountains of Spain contrasts with the dank depths of Fortunato's tomb.
According to Edgar Allen Poe, “Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe” The
appearance of the second black cat casts a spellbinding power over an already guilt
sickened mind. At first the narrator is very pleased by the affection bestowed upon him
by the second cat, but little by little he begins to dread and loathe its mere presence (para
16-17). In the beginning, the affection of the new animal eases the man's tormented
conscious, but eventually its presence begins to serve only as a reminder of the horrors
that he inflicted on Pluto. According to “Godey's Lady's Book,” Montresor’s actions also
lend to his vengeful and manipulative nature. He lures Fortunato into the catacombs of
his home to carry out his plans. First he caters to Fortunato’s ego by saying that Luchesi
was almost as worthy a judge of wine as he (150). Then Montresor tricks Fortunato into
believing that there is an expensive pipe of wine in the depths of his catacombs. When
they finally reach their destination, Montresor shackles him to the wall, constructs a tomb
around him using bricks, and leaves him there to die. It is indicated that in the past that
Fortunato has hurt Montresor many times, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had
borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge” (149).”
According to John Moran, “A Defense of Poe—Life, Character and Dying
Declarations of the Poet” symbolism and irony became the 2 most recognizable poetic
qualities in his stories, although several methods were used within his work. He used
these methods to portray his characters to look insane for a brief point, if not throughout
the entire story. He utilizes these tools to their limits to maximize on the avenues to
manipulate the stories themselves. In “The Black Cat”, Poe used a cat to symbolize a
character becoming insane and turning into an unknown killer. In the story, the character
removes his cat’s eye and hangs him from a tree. This shows how a sick person can
become insane. According to Charles Scarlett, "A Tale of Ratiocination: The Death and
Burial of Edgar Allan Poe." Poe also shows many examples of symbolism in The Cask of
Amontillado. Symbolism is seen in the names of the characters. “Only three names are
mentioned in the work, Fortunato, Luchesi, and Montressor, all three of which are
suggestive of treasure” (Womack). Fortunato is Italian for “fortunate” while Luchesi is
Italian for “lucrative.” Another example of symbolism is the sherry, “The most dry sherry
produced by the mountains of Spain contrasts with the dank depths of Fortunato’s tomb”
(Womack). The “cask” of amontillado that Montressor tells of, draws Fortunato into the
“casket” in which he still lies.
The appearance of the second black cat casts a spellbinding power over an already
guilt sickened mind. According to Edgar Allen Poe “Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan
Poe ,At first the narrator is very pleased by the affection bestowed upon him by the
second cat, but little by little he begins to dread and loathe its mere presence (para 16-17).
In the beginning, the affection of the new animal eases the man's tormented conscious,
but eventually its presence begins to serve only as a reminder of the horrors that he
inflicted on Pluto. Underlying feelings of guilt caused by the hideous crime committed
against Pluto, obviously surface and erode the narrators thoughts and reasoning power. In
his mind, guilt diseased thoughts begin to shape the undefined white markings around the
animals neck into the definite shape of a noose, and the man's fear of the cat prevents him
from harming the creature (para. 20).
The narrators description of the cat's cries can be likened to the wailing sound of
the guilt in his own conscious. Guilt is an overpowering emotion that can twist the souls
of those who are afflicted by its presence. The ultimate demise of the narrator of the story
is brought about by his initial attempt to conceal his feelings of guilt. In "The Black Cat",
Poe's use of the powerful convictions of guilt and remorse weave an intricate and
terrifying plot.
The final lines definitely show the success of Montresor’s plan. Throughout the
entire story one could see how Montresor completely manipulated Fortunato and lead
him to his demise. His vengeful nature made him unable to rethink the evil deed he had
just committed. His only concern was to avenge the insults that he perceived. He
succeeded in taking someone’s life without ever revealing his true dark side.
Poe’s Use of First Person Narrator in The Black Cat and The Cask Of
Amontillado, to create moral shock and horror In The Black Cat, Edgar Allen Poe
constructs a story in such a way that the events of the tale remain somewhat ambiguous.
In comparison, The Cask of Amontillado was also written from the perspective of first
person point of view. In Poe’s mentality for the works he does not intend, however for
the reader to sympathize with Montresor because of the wrong-doings Fortunato has
imposed upon him, but instead to judge him. In The Black Cat poe outs into termination
of telling the story from his point of view which intensifies the effect of moral shock and
horror once again, and the reader is invited to perceive the inner workings of a sinister
mind. Poe’s story is a case of pre-meditated murder. The reader becomes quickly aware
of the fact that Montresor is not a reliable narrator, and that he has a tendency to hold
grudges and exaggerate terribly, as he refers to the “thousand injuries” that he has
suffered at the hands of Fortunato. Montresor tries to convince the reader that his
intentions are honorable in an effort to uphold his family motto, which is also the national
motto of Scotland. (Ryan) In structure of the stories, there is no doubt that both
Montresor’s plan of revenge and the narrator of the incidents with Pluto, are carefully
crafted to create the desired effect of shock and horror to the reader by utilizing the first
person point of view.
