The Black Cat (Edgar Allen Poe)

The Black Cat 

 Hello! I am Reshma Bilakhiya, a student of MA and now I am Pursuing my

Master's Degree in Sem 4 . This blog is a part of  BA 'S Syllabus which is a

Short Story written by Edgar Allen Poe.

Summary of "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe

The story is told by a narrator who is about to die the next day. He insists that he is not mad and recounts the strange and horrifying events that led to his downfall. As a child, he loved animals and continued this affection into adulthood. He and his wife had many pets, including a black cat named Pluto.

However, the narrator became an alcoholic, which made him violent and cruel. One night, in a drunken rage, he gouged out Pluto’s eye with a quill pen. Later, driven by guilt and a strange feeling of perverseness, he hung the cat from a tree, killing it. That same night, his house caught fire, and the only remaining wall had the image of a cat imprinted on it.

Haunted by guilt, the narrator found another black cat that closely resembled Pluto, except for a white mark on its chest. He adopted the cat, but over time, he grew to hate it. The cat was always near him, increasing his paranoia and anger. One day, in a fit of rage, he tried to kill the cat with an axe, but his wife stopped him. In response, he murdered his wife instead and hid her body inside a wall in the cellar.

The cat disappeared, and the narrator felt relieved. However, when the police came to search his house, he confidently led them around, sure they wouldn’t find anything. In his arrogance, he tapped on the wall where his wife was hidden. To his horror, a loud wailing sound came from inside. The police tore down the wall and found the wife’s corpse with the black cat sitting on top of it. The narrator realized that he had sealed the cat inside the wall along with his wife's body. He was caught, and his fate was sealed.

Characters in "The Black Cat"

1. The Narrator – The unnamed main character, who loves animals but becomes cruel due to alcoholism. He commits terrible crimes and eventually faces punishment.

2. Pluto – The first black cat, whom the narrator loves but later mutilates and kills in a fit of rage.

3. The Second Black Cat – A mysterious cat that looks like Pluto but has a white mark resembling a gallows. It becomes a symbol of the narrator’s guilt and leads to his downfall.

4. The Narrator’s Wife – A kind and patient woman who loves animals. She is ultimately murdered by the narrator when she tries to protect the cat.

5. The Police Officers – They investigate the narrator’s house and ultimately uncover his crime.

Themes in "The Black Cat"

1. Guilt and Conscience – The narrator is tormented by guilt after killing Pluto. The second black cat acts as a symbol of his conscience, reminding him of his crime.

2. Perversity and Self-Destruction – The narrator knowingly does wrong things, simply because he wants to. His own actions lead to his downfall.

3. Alcoholism and Violence – The narrator’s addiction to alcohol makes him aggressive, leading him to commit horrible crimes.

4. The Supernatural vs. Reality – The second black cat and the strange events suggest a supernatural force at work, though the narrator tries to explain them rationally.

5. Madness – The narrator insists he is sane, but his actions and paranoia suggest otherwise. His mental instability drives him to murder.

Conclusion of "The Black Cat"

In the end, the narrator’s arrogance leads to his downfall. His attempt to show off the solid construction of his house exposes his crime when the cat's cries reveal the hidden body. The cat serves as a symbol of his guilt and fate, ensuring that justice is served. Poe’s story explores the dark side of human nature, showing how guilt, madness, and the need for self-destruction can lead to one’s own ruin.

Thank You !!!