Edgar Allen Poe’s short story “The Pit and the Pendulum” focuses on the abysmal terror and numerous horrors that a person experiences when undergoing physical and psychological torture. Anxiety is immediately revealed at the precise opening of “The Pit and the Pendulum” through the first time the narrator speaks, stating the “I was sick—sick unto death with that long agony” (Poe 1). This statement abruptly establishes a clear feeling of anxiety and terror of the narrator which suggests that these feelings are an extremely important theme throughout the story. Every aspect of the story echoes and reinforces these themes of terror and horror experienced by the narrator during his constant torture; one of the most important of these aspects is
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The first glimpse of the setting perfectly describes the bleakness of the surrounding while demonstrating the psychological effect of the darkness on the narrator. This picture arises from the expression of the narrator’s feelings, when he states that “the blackness of eternal night encompassed me. I struggled for breath. The intensity of the darkness seemed to oppress and stifle me” (Poe 3). Such a particular statement unmistakably proves how the setting relates to the larger themes of the story, as the oppressive darkness of the cell suffocates and stifles the narrator physically and psychologically causing pure terror. This dread is further evident through the comparison of the prison cell to “the walls of a tomb,” indicating the feeling of eternal restriction through death (Poe 3). The cells walls physically confine the narrator while reflecting the similar constraints of the narrator psychologically as his mind, which is also oppressed by the narrator’s constant hope and attempts to explore his surroundings and find a way to …show more content…
This alters the narrator’s perception of his surroundings, being able “to see the extent and aspect of the prison,” meaning that for the first time in the story, the prisoner is able to finally use his sense of sight in order to evaluate the cell (Poe 6). The introduction of sight is quite important as the Inquisition alters their attempt to execute the narrator from the pit to the pendulum. Vision at this time in the story only stands to increase the terror of the narrator as well as implement a sense of despair. Finally being able to use sight forces the narrator to watch the Pendulum’s descent while strapped down to a table, spending “long, long hours of horror more than mortal, during which [he] counted the rushing vibrations of the steel” (Poe 8). Such psychological torture enhances the pure terror of the narrator to the point that he welcomes death, stating that he “struggled to force [himself] upward against the sweep of the fearful scimitar” (Poe 8). Only despair due to the utter terror from the sight of the pendulum and the narrator’ impending death could have such a drastic effect on the psychological state of the narrator. The addition of light into the setting of only works to increase the terror of the narrator as well
The first glimpse of the setting perfectly describes the bleakness of the surrounding while demonstrating the psychological effect of the darkness on the narrator. This picture arises from the expression of the narrator’s feelings, when he states that “the blackness of eternal night encompassed me. I struggled for breath. The intensity of the darkness seemed to oppress and stifle me” (Poe 3). Such a particular statement unmistakably proves how the setting relates to the larger themes of the story, as the oppressive darkness of the cell suffocates and stifles the narrator physically and psychologically causing pure terror. This dread is further evident through the comparison of the prison cell to “the walls of a tomb,” indicating the feeling of eternal restriction through death (Poe 3). The cells walls physically confine the narrator while reflecting the similar constraints of the narrator psychologically as his mind, which is also oppressed by the narrator’s constant hope and attempts to explore his surroundings and find a way to …show more content…
This alters the narrator’s perception of his surroundings, being able “to see the extent and aspect of the prison,” meaning that for the first time in the story, the prisoner is able to finally use his sense of sight in order to evaluate the cell (Poe 6). The introduction of sight is quite important as the Inquisition alters their attempt to execute the narrator from the pit to the pendulum. Vision at this time in the story only stands to increase the terror of the narrator as well as implement a sense of despair. Finally being able to use sight forces the narrator to watch the Pendulum’s descent while strapped down to a table, spending “long, long hours of horror more than mortal, during which [he] counted the rushing vibrations of the steel” (Poe 8). Such psychological torture enhances the pure terror of the narrator to the point that he welcomes death, stating that he “struggled to force [himself] upward against the sweep of the fearful scimitar” (Poe 8). Only despair due to the utter terror from the sight of the pendulum and the narrator’ impending death could have such a drastic effect on the psychological state of the narrator. The addition of light into the setting of only works to increase the terror of the narrator as well