1. Is the narrator of “The Black Cat” a
reliable narrator? How does it change the narrative if he is disqualified
as a reliable narrator?
I
wouldn’t say the narrator of “The Black Cat” is a particularly reliable
narrator because he is bias and favors rationalizing his behaviors as being
completely ordinary, disregarding his freakish tendencies and making light of
atrocities such as murdering his wife. Since he is disqualified a s reliable
narrator the narrative must be read with the understanding that it is tainted
by his viewing lenses, such as a warped sense of write and wrong, his high
tolerance for violence, and his lack of guilt and sympathy.
2. Describe THREE major characteristics of
the narrator that qualify him as a “freak”. List a quotation for each
characteristic.
1. No
Guilt: “The guilt of my dark deed disturbed me but little.” (19) Talking about
his lack of guilt after killing his wife.
2.
Doesn’t Know Their a Freak: “Yet, mad am I not” (11) he states this in the
introduction claiming that everything he is going to tell us is, “a series of
mere household events.” (11)
3.
Violent: “One morning, in cold blood, I slipped a noose around its neck and
hung it to the limb of a tree” (14) Talking about killing Pluto.
3. Why does the killer murder his
wife? Is it a crime of passion, an accident, or, on some level the
fulfillment of something long desired?
I
though the murder of his wife is a crime of accidents because he is swinging to
kill the 2nd cat when she gets in the way of the weapon and it kills
her instead of the cat. Although I do think it is odd that he shows more guilt
and remorse after killing the first cat then after he kills his wife.
4. What is the significance of the fact
that the story is about abusing/ killing a cat? What does his willingness
to harm a cat, whether he is under the influence or not, say about his
character?
A
lot of physiologists site abuse of animals as a child as a tell tale sign of
mental illness, lack of sympathy / empathy, and psychopathic tendencies. The
hilling of an animal such as a cat tells of someone who wants to be in control
and likes to prey on the week for small pets are not capable of putting up much
of a fight and they genially trust you so they are easily deceived. The
willingness to harm a cat tells us that he is willing to bring harm to an
innocent and fabricate falsities about said innocent to rationalize him causing
it pain and suffering.
5. What
indications are there in this story to suggest that the killer had
subconsciously desired to be caught and punished for his crimes?
It is
indicated that the killer wanted to subconsciously get cause because even
though he is home free with the cops he continues to talk to them and boast
about the sturdiness of his walls and even hits the wall he made over just to
show how confident he was, This over-sharing and bringing attention to where he
hid his wife, all things that led to them finding her, show that he
subconsciously wanted them to know what he had done, if this weren’t true he
would have just shut up and he probably never would have gotten caught.
6. Discuss
with a few examples how Poe establishes a mood in this story. What techniques
of style or characterization allow him to create such a spooky mood? Poe establishes the mood of the
story by having the killer hurt the cat right away by injuring one of it’s
eyes. Poe also eludes to the supernatural with things such as the smoke drawing
of the cat in a noose after the fire burned the house down, the white fur in
the shape of the noose on the 2nd cat, the whole existence and
appearance of the 2nd cat, and the 2nd cat’s role in
getting the killer brought to justice by helping attract the police to where
the wife was buried.
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