One’s recollection of past events has a drastic impact on their narration. Multiple factors may affect one’s recollection, and consequently the credibility of their narration. Edgar Allen Poe was a writer, innovator, essayist and literary critic. He is attributed as the developer of short stories due to his many famous publications. In Poe’s short stories, the narration is in the first person. While this adds an interesting perspective, one cannot always trust the narrator’s recollection. Poe often utilized a narrator who wasn’t credible or accurate with his narration. To create an unreliable narrator, Poe integrates hubris and insanity into his characters and selectively omits details.
Firstly, Poe integrates insanity into his stories to …show more content…
However, the narrator proclaims his sanity by declaring “Yet, mad am I not…” (Poe, 3). In Cask of Amontillado, though there is no mention of insanity, one can conclude that Montresor, who took revenge based on …show more content…
Omission, or the exclusion of something leaves the reader questioning the credibility of the narrator, and doubting the accuracy of his/her narration. In Cask of Amontillado, Montresor omitted various details that leave the reader questioning his credibility. First, he declared that the “thousand injuries of Fortunate…” (Poe, 3) drove him to take revenge. The reader is left wondering if Fortunato was deserving of death, because his crime is unknown. This omission protects Montresor, but increases his unreliability. Also, Montresor doesn’t talk of a search for Fortunato. Since Fortunato often “injured” Montresor, he would be a likely suspect. The omission of police questioning and/or concern could indicate that the story is an exaggeration, told only as a result of Montresor’s extreme self-confidence. Though the narrator in The Black Cat talks of his incarceration, he still omits several key details. First, the narrator never reveals why the woman he was married to didn’t leave the relationship. By the quotation “At length, I even offered her personal violence.” (Poe, 4), one can note that the narrator was extremely abusive of his wife, and didn’t take note of her feelings as a result of his blindness. Also, the narrator never reveals why he was an alcoholic. This omission leads the reader to believe that the narrator may be only including alcoholism in the story is to excuse himself
Firstly, Poe integrates insanity into his stories to …show more content…
However, the narrator proclaims his sanity by declaring “Yet, mad am I not…” (Poe, 3). In Cask of Amontillado, though there is no mention of insanity, one can conclude that Montresor, who took revenge based on …show more content…
Omission, or the exclusion of something leaves the reader questioning the credibility of the narrator, and doubting the accuracy of his/her narration. In Cask of Amontillado, Montresor omitted various details that leave the reader questioning his credibility. First, he declared that the “thousand injuries of Fortunate…” (Poe, 3) drove him to take revenge. The reader is left wondering if Fortunato was deserving of death, because his crime is unknown. This omission protects Montresor, but increases his unreliability. Also, Montresor doesn’t talk of a search for Fortunato. Since Fortunato often “injured” Montresor, he would be a likely suspect. The omission of police questioning and/or concern could indicate that the story is an exaggeration, told only as a result of Montresor’s extreme self-confidence. Though the narrator in The Black Cat talks of his incarceration, he still omits several key details. First, the narrator never reveals why the woman he was married to didn’t leave the relationship. By the quotation “At length, I even offered her personal violence.” (Poe, 4), one can note that the narrator was extremely abusive of his wife, and didn’t take note of her feelings as a result of his blindness. Also, the narrator never reveals why he was an alcoholic. This omission leads the reader to believe that the narrator may be only including alcoholism in the story is to excuse himself