Edgar Allan Poe: A Literary Activist
Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most fascinating figures in all of literature. He was at the forefront of the Romantic Movement creating the horror genre, the literary detective, and was one of the pioneers of science fiction. No matter what one believes, the majority of people who have read his work find the man mysterious since it is difficult to imagine where the inspiration of some of his stories came from. Some view him as a literary genius; where, others view him as a crazy alcoholic, but based on his short story, “The Black Cat,” Poe comes across as a domestic violence and alcohol abuse activist, as well as somewhat of a feminist. In addition, there is a possibility that these themes were inspired …show more content…
In fact, the Poe family is a great example of alcohol abuse being an inheritable trait. His father, David, was known to be a very heavy drinker and it is very likely to have affected his marriage since he left his family when Edgar was only nine months old. In addition, Edgar’s older brother, Henry, was an alcoholic. Once Poe moved in with is aunt he was quoted as saying that Henry was "entirely given up to drink and unable to help himself” (Collins 21). Poe began to drink heavily during his tenure at the University of Virginia. Since John Allan, Poe’s adoptive father, had given him very little money to pay for school expenses, Poe was living in conditions close to poverty; there were even rumors he “he had to burn the furniture in his room for warmth” (Giammarco 2). To make matters worse the school was definitely not the …show more content…
Furthermore, his family struggled with alcohol, and he practically drank himself to death. Since there is no physical proof, nobody knows if there were instances of domestic violence in Poe’s life or how much he was exposed to it, but it seems plausible that he felt bad about the lesser status of women. His biological mother, Eliza, and his adoptive mother, Frances, clearly were not treated well by their husbands who may have led Poe to develop a disdain for marriage roles at the time. In addition, Maria was a strong, independent, and masculine woman who could have further deepened his respect and sympathy for women. Furthermore, the level of affection and love he had towards Virginia probably made it even more difficult to see why women were treated so poorly. In conclusion, “The Black Cat” appears to be the embodiment of Poe’s feelings towards alcohol abuse, domestic violence and the poor treatment of
Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most fascinating figures in all of literature. He was at the forefront of the Romantic Movement creating the horror genre, the literary detective, and was one of the pioneers of science fiction. No matter what one believes, the majority of people who have read his work find the man mysterious since it is difficult to imagine where the inspiration of some of his stories came from. Some view him as a literary genius; where, others view him as a crazy alcoholic, but based on his short story, “The Black Cat,” Poe comes across as a domestic violence and alcohol abuse activist, as well as somewhat of a feminist. In addition, there is a possibility that these themes were inspired …show more content…
In fact, the Poe family is a great example of alcohol abuse being an inheritable trait. His father, David, was known to be a very heavy drinker and it is very likely to have affected his marriage since he left his family when Edgar was only nine months old. In addition, Edgar’s older brother, Henry, was an alcoholic. Once Poe moved in with is aunt he was quoted as saying that Henry was "entirely given up to drink and unable to help himself” (Collins 21). Poe began to drink heavily during his tenure at the University of Virginia. Since John Allan, Poe’s adoptive father, had given him very little money to pay for school expenses, Poe was living in conditions close to poverty; there were even rumors he “he had to burn the furniture in his room for warmth” (Giammarco 2). To make matters worse the school was definitely not the …show more content…
Furthermore, his family struggled with alcohol, and he practically drank himself to death. Since there is no physical proof, nobody knows if there were instances of domestic violence in Poe’s life or how much he was exposed to it, but it seems plausible that he felt bad about the lesser status of women. His biological mother, Eliza, and his adoptive mother, Frances, clearly were not treated well by their husbands who may have led Poe to develop a disdain for marriage roles at the time. In addition, Maria was a strong, independent, and masculine woman who could have further deepened his respect and sympathy for women. Furthermore, the level of affection and love he had towards Virginia probably made it even more difficult to see why women were treated so poorly. In conclusion, “The Black Cat” appears to be the embodiment of Poe’s feelings towards alcohol abuse, domestic violence and the poor treatment of