Symbolism in Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat
A detailed Summary of Symbolism in Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat
Symbolism in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat"
In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat," symbolism is used to show the narrator's capacity for violence, madness, and guilt. "The Black Cat," written by Edgar Allan Poe serves as a reminder for all of us. The Capacity for violence and horror lies within each of
us, no matter how docile and humane our disposition might appear. In this story, the narrator portrays a man who is fond of animals, had a tender heart, and is happily married. Within several years of his marriage, his general temperament and character make a radical
alteration for the worse. He grows moodier, more irritable, and more inconsiderate of the feelings of others. This change for the worse caused by alcohol, ends in the narrator's waiting on death row for the murder of his wife. The symbolism of the first black cat
(Pluto), the second black cat, and the white spot illustrate the narrator's expanding capacity for evil and perverseness.
The most important symbol of the story is the first black cat. The first black cat is symbolic of the narrator's evil heart and there are many ways one can prove this. Black cat one started out in the story as the narrator's favorite pet and playmate named Pluto,which i

The second black cat is symbolic of the narrator's guilt. The night after the narrator's house caught on fire, he went to a bar where he saw black cat two. Black cat two resembled black cat one in every aspect except one. The finding of black cat two is symbolic of the night in which the narrator had came home from a bar toxicated. When the narrator began to leave the bar, black cat two began to follow him and this is symbolic of the guilt that follows the narrator. The narrator noticed that black cat two resembled
point where he would pick up the cat and frighten it. Afraid of his master, the cat slightly wounded the narrator on the hand with his teeth. Because of the cats reaction to his picking him up, the narrator pokes out one of the cat's eye. The eye of the cat which is
poked out by the narrator is symbolic of the narrator not wanting the cat to get a clear perception of his evil heart. Then suddenly on one morning the narrator hung black cat one by a noose from a tree. The hanging of the first black cat is symbolic of the narrator's
The first black cat, the second black cat, and the white spot are the three most important symbols in this story. Each one of these symbols represents the evil and perverseness of the narrator. Black cat one let's the reader get a clear understanding of
black cat o
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Approximate Word count = 896
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
Category: English
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