2. Born on January 19, 1809, in Boston,
Massachusetts, writer, poet, critic,
and editor Edgar Allan Poe's tales
of mystery and horror gave birth to
the modern detective story and
many of his works, including “The
Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Fall of
the House of Usher,” became
literary classics. "The Raven,"
which he published in 1845, is
considered among the best-known
poems in American literature.
3. The narrator has major issues. This unnamed character is an abusive
bully and a murderer. He made home a living hell for his wife, pets, and
himself. He's writing to us from his prison cell, on the eve of his
scheduled death by hanging.
The narrator’s wife is kind, giving, loyal, and even heroic at the end.
The narrator says she has "in a high degree, that humanity of feeling
which had once been [his] distinguishing characteristic." She is a
highly sympathetic character.
Pluto is fine specimen of a cat. All black, large, fuzzy, and sagacious. It
means extremely wise, intelligent, and perceptive. Over the years Pluto
moves from a pampered pet to an abused beast. He is blinded and
ultimately murdered by his owner.
The second black cat looks almost exactly like Pluto. He's big, black,
and missing an eye. The only difference is the white spot. The spot
starts off innocently enough, but then grows into an image of the
gallows
4. The story is written from the narrator's jail cell,
highlighting the theme of "Freedom and
Confinement." The narrator writes from a space of
confinement, and detailing the events that led him to
prison is one of the few freedoms he has left.
5. Internal conflict :
The narrator vs Alcoholism
External conflict:
The narrator vs Cat (his own
conscience)
6. The narrator is introduced as an alcoholic, who
married young and his household has many
pets, but his favorite is his black cat, Pluto.
Rising action
• The narrator hanged his black cat and his
house caught on fire. His crazy actions rage on
with his intemperance.
7. The narrator killed his wife after she stopped
his attempt to get rid of the cat.
Falling action
• The narrator hid the body of his wife in the
wall.
8. The police discovered the dead wife’s corpse
that was hidden within the wall along with the
black cat with white fur.
Point of view
• The unnamed narrator of "The Black Cat" is
obviously a "first person" narrator. He's a
"central narrator" because he's talking about
things that he did or things that happened to
him, rather than things he watched, or heard
about.
9. Violence
Drugs and Alcohol
Freedom and Confinement
Justice and Judgement
