Edgar Allan Poe, known for his tales of mystery and horror, spent his life in poverty, misery, and ultimately as a failure. His loved ones were taken from him by tuberculosis, and his works of writing never gained any fame. As depression settled in, Poe turned to a life of alcoholism, and incorporated those struggles in his works of literature. Specifically, Poe’s experiences heavily influence “The Raven” and “The Black Cat” as he tries to warn others of the dangers of alcohol and depression through his use of animals. However, Poe’s works also differentiate through the relationship between the narrators and animals, as well as the narrator’s approach to dealing with pain. To begin with, in both “The Black Cat” and “The Raven”, the narrators
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In “The Black Cat”, as the narrator develops a drinking problem, he turns to violence in order to cope with the alcohol, and the depression and sorrow that comes along with it. He hurts his cat, Pluto, by “[cutting] one if its eyes from the socket”, and later on “[hanging] it to the limb of a tree” (Poe 2). He also abuses his wife in order to help his “frequent and ungovernable outbursts of a fury” (Poe 5) After obtaining a second cat, he shows more violence when he attempts to kill it, murdering his wife in the process. This was all done because he felt “the pressure of torments” (Poe 5). He was therefore attempting to rid himself of the internal pain caused by alcoholism by harming others. On the other hand, the narrator in “The Raven” attempts to deal with his anguish over his lost love in a calmer way. At the start of the poem, the narrator attempts to “borrow/ From [his] books surcease of sorrow”, trying to escape from his misery by reading (Raven 9-10). However, once the raven enters his room, the narrator attempts to make himself feel better by asking the bird hopeful questions, such as, “Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn/It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore”, asking if he will reunite with Lenore in heaven (Raven 94-95). Unfortunately, the raven destroys the narrator 's hopes by answering “Nevermore” to all of his questions (Raven 96). Though the narrator does not alleviate his depression, he still attempts to do so in a placid way. Evidently, the narrators in “The Raven” and “The Black Cat” utilize completely different methods to help deal with the sadness inflicted upon
In “The Black Cat”, as the narrator develops a drinking problem, he turns to violence in order to cope with the alcohol, and the depression and sorrow that comes along with it. He hurts his cat, Pluto, by “[cutting] one if its eyes from the socket”, and later on “[hanging] it to the limb of a tree” (Poe 2). He also abuses his wife in order to help his “frequent and ungovernable outbursts of a fury” (Poe 5) After obtaining a second cat, he shows more violence when he attempts to kill it, murdering his wife in the process. This was all done because he felt “the pressure of torments” (Poe 5). He was therefore attempting to rid himself of the internal pain caused by alcoholism by harming others. On the other hand, the narrator in “The Raven” attempts to deal with his anguish over his lost love in a calmer way. At the start of the poem, the narrator attempts to “borrow/ From [his] books surcease of sorrow”, trying to escape from his misery by reading (Raven 9-10). However, once the raven enters his room, the narrator attempts to make himself feel better by asking the bird hopeful questions, such as, “Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn/It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore”, asking if he will reunite with Lenore in heaven (Raven 94-95). Unfortunately, the raven destroys the narrator 's hopes by answering “Nevermore” to all of his questions (Raven 96). Though the narrator does not alleviate his depression, he still attempts to do so in a placid way. Evidently, the narrators in “The Raven” and “The Black Cat” utilize completely different methods to help deal with the sadness inflicted upon