The Black Cat by Edger Alan Poe

“The Black Cat” by Edger Alan Poe

Edger Allan Poe was a famous American writer, editor, and critic who was known for his short stories and poetry. He also worked as a journalist perhaps this is the reason we can find seriousness in his work. He can be credited with having invented the detective short story and as such can be considered the father of this genre of literature. Usually, his story highlights the elements of fear, horror and gothic. His story highlights deeper layers of the human psyche in comparison to the human mind and motives. His stories are simply unrivaled in their story. This story also reveals the deeper psychological narrator.

The story reveals by an unnamed narrator who is about the covey. Through the narrator, we came to know about the story’s character who is well known and celebrated. He confesses a great love for cats and dogs, both of which he says, respect the fidelity of friendship, unlike fellow men. The narrator is fond of animals and birds.

“We had birds, goldfish, a fine dog, rabbits, a small monkey, and a black cat”

He loved the black cat and named it as ‘Pluto’ whereas his wife totally didn’t like it, She was disguised by it. In short, she used to see at Pluto as something omen kind of things and believed that cat was responsible behind whatever was happening in the house.

“I grew day by day, moodier,

more irritable, more regardless of the feeling of the others…

...the fury of a demon, instantly possessed me”

In the following year, the narrator started to be moodier who usually came at home with doing the drinking and abused his wife also. Though he always used showing some kindness towards Plato, one day he lashed out at Plato as felt that he was avoided by Cat. He tried to catch the cat and in return, he was bitten by the cat. Because of this act narrator got angry and pulled out his knife and without being kind he cut out one eye of a cat. Though the cat recovered after this incident, his master was avoided by it and ultimately this act again provoked the narrator. He described this act as a primitive impulse of perverseness. One morning, he hanged Pluto from a limb of a tree, the innocent act was heavily tortured by his master.

“One morning, in cool blood, I slipped a noose about its neck,

And hung it to the limb of a tree...”

After that narrator’s house caught fire and however, the narrator along with his wife and servant managed to escape. Now the turning point in the story came, on the following day of the fire, some of the neighbors heard a shout behind the hall and tried to find out the truth of it. The narrator was amazed after seeing the impression of a gigantic cat with a rope around its neck on the surface of the wall. Later on, the narrator tried to explain rationally the existence of the impression but he found himself haunted by the phantasm over the course of many months. At the end of the story, the drunken narrator discovered a black object poised upon a large barrel of alcohol. That new black cat has appeared resembling Pluto but with a splash o white on his fur. From this narrator experienced a great fondness for his mysterious cat which has not been seen by anyone before.

“The White fur reveals the mode of execution that claimed Pluto and the narrator pledges revenge”

This resemblance brought anger towards the cat in the narrator's mind and he tried to attack it with an axe but his wife tried to defend them and ultimately in anger she was killed by the narrator. And hide the body behind the dump wall which was discovered by police. As police tapped on the wall, a long cry came out in response to tapping. After storming the wall they find a hidden corpse and upon her head, the missing cat was sitting.

Thus the Edger Alan Poe created very mysterious and gothic elements in his story with his unique narrative technique that lends a great deal of authenticity to the unusual events in the story.