In Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Importance of the Single Effect in a Prose Tale.” Poe reveals what he considers to be the building blocks of a Short Story. Poe believes that when writing a short story the author should always have a “Single Effect” in mind and tailor the form of the story to this single effect. In other words, every aspect of the story should be specifically written with the desired emotional effect in mind. This single effect which conveys a specific emotion or idea to the reader should draw the story together. I believe Poe achieves this single effect in the story “The Cask of Amontillado”. The underlying feeling of horror perceived when reading this story can be felt in every word, just as intended. Although the story “Miss Brill”
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Revenge of course being to seal Fortunato in the crevice of his families catacombs alive. The deeper this endeavour of revenge takes us the more we are exposed to the horror of Montresor's inner desires. “No answers still. I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and let it fall within. There came forth in return only a jingling of the bells. My heart grew sick - on account of the dampness of the catacombs.” As Montresor completes his task of revenge with subtlety, the darkness and horror of this story is even more clear than before. As if to say that the murder of Fortunato has nothing to do with the sickness in Montresor's heart, this story was truly horrifying.
Although Horror is accompanied largely with the emotion of fear, being horrified is not the only thing humans are afraid of. In fact, we have many fears as humans. Some are afraid of death but just as many of us are afraid of rejection. For Miss Brill, the necessity for acceptance is what feeds her feelings of rejection. Up until the young couple replaced the old couple at the bench near Miss Brill, she is living in a dream. Miss Brill starts her day removing her fur for her …show more content…
When reading Katherine Mansfield's “Miss Brill” the dusty clothing of the aging woman along with her lack of social acceptance create an atmosphere of rejection. Lastly, the complete change of mood and surprising ending develop a heavy shock factor in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. Conclusively, each of these stories was written with a “single effect” which conveyed a specific emotion and idea to
Revenge of course being to seal Fortunato in the crevice of his families catacombs alive. The deeper this endeavour of revenge takes us the more we are exposed to the horror of Montresor's inner desires. “No answers still. I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and let it fall within. There came forth in return only a jingling of the bells. My heart grew sick - on account of the dampness of the catacombs.” As Montresor completes his task of revenge with subtlety, the darkness and horror of this story is even more clear than before. As if to say that the murder of Fortunato has nothing to do with the sickness in Montresor's heart, this story was truly horrifying.
Although Horror is accompanied largely with the emotion of fear, being horrified is not the only thing humans are afraid of. In fact, we have many fears as humans. Some are afraid of death but just as many of us are afraid of rejection. For Miss Brill, the necessity for acceptance is what feeds her feelings of rejection. Up until the young couple replaced the old couple at the bench near Miss Brill, she is living in a dream. Miss Brill starts her day removing her fur for her …show more content…
When reading Katherine Mansfield's “Miss Brill” the dusty clothing of the aging woman along with her lack of social acceptance create an atmosphere of rejection. Lastly, the complete change of mood and surprising ending develop a heavy shock factor in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. Conclusively, each of these stories was written with a “single effect” which conveyed a specific emotion and idea to