Similarities and Differences in The Black Cat, The Cask of Amontillado and The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe
Every so often an author creates works of literature that can outlast fads, eras and time tables. It is these works of art that go on to become what is commonly referred to as a literary classic. Edgar Allan Poe was an author in which his works are often referred to as classic works of literature. His short stories are examined and explored in classroom settings throughout the nation for their symbolism, their incredible settings and the plots which have a timeless quality to them. Three of his works, The Black Cat, The Fall of the House of Usher and The Cask of Amontillado all bring forth the talents and subtle nuances of Poe's mind. Each of the stories uses plot, symbolism and settings to portray his fear of death and his obvious deep and crippling bouts of depression which manifested itself in his work. At first glance they appear to be entirely different stories but when one takes a second more intensive look the stories bear similarities in several elemental ways. Before one can begin to understand the similarities and differences among the three stories one must first have an understanding of the recurring theme that seems to permeate all of the work that Poe wrote. The theme of madness ca
In The Black Cat the madness plot is also evident when the man waiting to be executed explains to the readers that he became obsessed with a cat (or two) and the feline convinces him to murder his wife. In The Black Cat the first obvious use of symbolism is the title itself. For many years now it has been considered bad luck to let a black cat cross one's path. In this story the black cat crossed the narrator's path and he was destroyed because of it. The black cat has always been considered bad luck, therefore when the story revolves round the black cat it can only have a devastating outcome. nnot be denied in the three works in question. Madness was a popular theme with Poe, who was said to be mad himself. His problems with drugs and alcohol are well documented and those elements contributed to what people now believe to be the mental illness that he surely suffered from during his short life. The theme of madness and death are woven so deeply through the three stories that there can be no question that madness is a similarity that each of the three stories share. One of the underlying similarities within the three stories is the setting that each story takes place in. The first glance allows the reader to believe that they are three different place, and from a strictly geographical sense, that is true. However, if one steps back from the story and takes the time to allow an overview of the settings one will find that all three settings are set in places that are depressing, dark and scary. Whether it is the jail cell in The Black Cat, the house in The Fall of the House of Usher, or the cave like tunnel and eventual tomb that is built in the Cask of Amontillado each of the settings bring to mind feelings of dark doom and gloom coupled with deep rooted fear. Whether it was because a black cat obsession caused one to murder, a house became evil to those that inhabited it or a man was walled into a tomb alive each of the stories presents a Stephen King like element of suspense and suspicion. Each of the three plots are different, though they all
Some common words found in the essay are:
Black Cat, House Usher, SHORT OVERVIEW, Cask Amontillado, Allan Poe, OPINION STORIES, ELEMENTS Each, SYMBOLISM Symbolism, , black cat, house usher, fall house usher, Fall House, fall house, cask amontillado, fear death, edgar allan poe, allan poe, bad luck, considered bad, edgar allan, usher house, considered bad luck,
Approximate Word count = 1397
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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