In The Cask of Amontillado and The Tell-Tale Heart, Poe showcases a unique style of writing, rendering unique pieces of literature. These stories are within the genres of horror and romanticism, however, Poe does not conform to these genres as they were in the 19th century. Poe branches out of horror and romanticism, developing gothic romanticism and pioneering psychological horror. Aspects of both genres are distinguishable and apparent in both texts. This is because Poe uses narration and dictation to implement the darkness of each genre. Furthermore, reflected between the lines of both texts was Poe’s intellectual belief that art and literature were the most realistic and accurate depiction of human nature. Therefore, his depictions of people
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This instability creates a sense of distrust towards the narrator. Poe adds this psychological element to horror to reveal how the story is possible. Though dark, the narrator’s thoughts can be deemed realistic, and comparable to a sociopath’s thoughts. Poe also uses second person narrative, which draws the reader in and creates a sense of intrigue and mystery. This narrative adds to the instability to the character’s unstable state like when they ask, “but why will you say that I am mad?” this makes the narrator seem obsessed to prove their sanity. Similarly in The Cask of Amontillado, second person narrative is used to intrigue the reader and also, it was crafted to resemble a confession, which further includes the reader. Poe’s intentions are apparent through this text as it reveals much of the human …show more content…
Even in describing the eye, he does not merely call it terrifying , he calls it “vulture”, a word of horrid connotations. This detail is unsettling and dramatic, as it shows an obsession from the narrator’s perspective and reveals their psyche. He further embellished his stories with words from different languages. In The Cask of Amontillado, this is prevalent in the names. Amontillado itself is a spanish wine. The Narrator, whose name is Montressor is French for ‘my treasure’, which is ironic since Montressor is poor and bankrupt. Fortunato’s name is Italian for ‘fortunate’, and it is also ironic since he dies. Poe deviates from romanticism through arabesque, and creating a somber mood to provoke emotion. Arabesque also aided him in developing psychological horror, as the ornateness used create an unsettling sense of obsession. This further reveals the darker aspects of human nature as Poe
This instability creates a sense of distrust towards the narrator. Poe adds this psychological element to horror to reveal how the story is possible. Though dark, the narrator’s thoughts can be deemed realistic, and comparable to a sociopath’s thoughts. Poe also uses second person narrative, which draws the reader in and creates a sense of intrigue and mystery. This narrative adds to the instability to the character’s unstable state like when they ask, “but why will you say that I am mad?” this makes the narrator seem obsessed to prove their sanity. Similarly in The Cask of Amontillado, second person narrative is used to intrigue the reader and also, it was crafted to resemble a confession, which further includes the reader. Poe’s intentions are apparent through this text as it reveals much of the human …show more content…
Even in describing the eye, he does not merely call it terrifying , he calls it “vulture”, a word of horrid connotations. This detail is unsettling and dramatic, as it shows an obsession from the narrator’s perspective and reveals their psyche. He further embellished his stories with words from different languages. In The Cask of Amontillado, this is prevalent in the names. Amontillado itself is a spanish wine. The Narrator, whose name is Montressor is French for ‘my treasure’, which is ironic since Montressor is poor and bankrupt. Fortunato’s name is Italian for ‘fortunate’, and it is also ironic since he dies. Poe deviates from romanticism through arabesque, and creating a somber mood to provoke emotion. Arabesque also aided him in developing psychological horror, as the ornateness used create an unsettling sense of obsession. This further reveals the darker aspects of human nature as Poe