Both the short story “The Possibility of Evil” (1965), written by Shirley Jackson, and the short story “The Cask of Amontillado” (1846), written by Edgar Allan Poe, explore the themes of revenge by using a variety of techniques. “The Possibility of Evil” tells the story of an elderly woman manipulating the the town to be the perfect town she wanted, and when when one of the townspeople find out what she had been doing, they cut up her number one prize possession; her roses. “The Cask of Amontillado” also conveys a similar theme, telling the story of a man that had enough of “his friend” teasing him, so he commits first degree murder by getting his friend drunk and luring him to his chamber and locking him in there until his death. Both narratives
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Specifically, Poe demonstrates that revenge is petty, while Jackson thinks that revenge is sweet karma. For example, Montresor was so angry over something so small. He had kept this grudge for the perfect moment to get the revenge he had wanted. This portrayal of revenge is that it is trifling. People tend to hold grudges over an insult and that is fine but when you take it to the next level to kill them, that isn’t fine. It makes you look childish. Conversely Jackson’s story is a town citizen taking revenge on her by cutting her roses for messing with the town for years. This representation of revenge is karma getting you back. Mrs. Strangeworth’s roses are her prize possession and when the town citizen had found out her secret, they got her back and she deserves what she got. This is different from Poe’s perspective on revenge because when you read “The Cask of Amontillado”, you feel bad for Fortunato because what he did wasn’t a big deal but when you read “The Possibility of Evil”, you don’t feel bad for Mrs.Strangeworth, you feel bad for the townspeople. While Poe and Jackson both focus on the same theme, they successfully make different statements on revenge.
Both Jackson's “The Possibility of Evil” and Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” both expertly explore the themes of revenge, although they make different statements on the theme. “The Possibility of Evil” uses verbal irony to portray that karma is sweet. Conversely, “The Cask of Amontillado” uses situational irony to show that revenge is petty. Both works, however, demonstrate the inherent dangers and moral failings of seeking
Specifically, Poe demonstrates that revenge is petty, while Jackson thinks that revenge is sweet karma. For example, Montresor was so angry over something so small. He had kept this grudge for the perfect moment to get the revenge he had wanted. This portrayal of revenge is that it is trifling. People tend to hold grudges over an insult and that is fine but when you take it to the next level to kill them, that isn’t fine. It makes you look childish. Conversely Jackson’s story is a town citizen taking revenge on her by cutting her roses for messing with the town for years. This representation of revenge is karma getting you back. Mrs. Strangeworth’s roses are her prize possession and when the town citizen had found out her secret, they got her back and she deserves what she got. This is different from Poe’s perspective on revenge because when you read “The Cask of Amontillado”, you feel bad for Fortunato because what he did wasn’t a big deal but when you read “The Possibility of Evil”, you don’t feel bad for Mrs.Strangeworth, you feel bad for the townspeople. While Poe and Jackson both focus on the same theme, they successfully make different statements on revenge.
Both Jackson's “The Possibility of Evil” and Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” both expertly explore the themes of revenge, although they make different statements on the theme. “The Possibility of Evil” uses verbal irony to portray that karma is sweet. Conversely, “The Cask of Amontillado” uses situational irony to show that revenge is petty. Both works, however, demonstrate the inherent dangers and moral failings of seeking