The gothic movement during the late 18th century fixated on horror and gore, turning away from the social norms; the writings of Edgar Allan Poe, a pivotal contributor to gothic literature, perfectly embodies the essence of the movement. Poe’s short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart” is from the perspective of a crazed narrator that kills an old-man in order to rid himself the torment of looking at his eye. Poe’s “The Black Cat” is another short story where the narrator commits murder, killing his cat and unexpectedly his wife. Poe explores his inevitable breakdown into insanity through the use of these gothic pieces of literature, centralizing on the elements of murder, death and madness. Poe makes it very apparent in both short stories that the
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In his story “The Tell Tale Heart”, the narrator feels a strong animosity towards “...a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold”(1). His hatred is not necessarily directed to the old man that wears the glazed eye, but what it reveals when one peers into it, the eye acts as a mirror that reflects one’s true self. In Poe’s case, he makes it so that the narrator cannot bare to look at the eye, in other words, Poe cannot bare to look at himself, he cannot bring himself to acknowledge the empty shell he sees. This self-loathing lodges itself into Poe’s mind, worsening other problems like the death of his mother and wife. In “The Black Cat”, the narrator seeks the death of the second black cat, blinded by resentment he swings an ax at the it, “[b]ut this blow was arrested by the hand of [his] wife...She fell dead upon the post without a groan” (12). Whether the narrator or the cat represent Poe in this situation, what one can take away from it is the fact that Poe blames himself for much of the deaths in his life. He carries the burden like heavy chains, Poe’s lack of awareness hinders him from discovering the glaring freedom right in front of him. Unfortunately, Poe will never come to find peace from his problems as long as he …show more content…
Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Black Cat” along with many of his works become key pieces to gothic literature, promoting the exploration of one’s perverseness. Both short stories exemplify the effects of drowning oneself with alcohol and misery, a distorted perspective that leads to an obsessive persona. Poe raises the notion of what justifies an unambiguous thought process, rather than pure rationality. It is indisputable that Poe was under the influence of alcohol during his writings, but rather than a clouded judgement, did Poe experience true enlightenment during these
In his story “The Tell Tale Heart”, the narrator feels a strong animosity towards “...a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold”(1). His hatred is not necessarily directed to the old man that wears the glazed eye, but what it reveals when one peers into it, the eye acts as a mirror that reflects one’s true self. In Poe’s case, he makes it so that the narrator cannot bare to look at the eye, in other words, Poe cannot bare to look at himself, he cannot bring himself to acknowledge the empty shell he sees. This self-loathing lodges itself into Poe’s mind, worsening other problems like the death of his mother and wife. In “The Black Cat”, the narrator seeks the death of the second black cat, blinded by resentment he swings an ax at the it, “[b]ut this blow was arrested by the hand of [his] wife...She fell dead upon the post without a groan” (12). Whether the narrator or the cat represent Poe in this situation, what one can take away from it is the fact that Poe blames himself for much of the deaths in his life. He carries the burden like heavy chains, Poe’s lack of awareness hinders him from discovering the glaring freedom right in front of him. Unfortunately, Poe will never come to find peace from his problems as long as he …show more content…
Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Black Cat” along with many of his works become key pieces to gothic literature, promoting the exploration of one’s perverseness. Both short stories exemplify the effects of drowning oneself with alcohol and misery, a distorted perspective that leads to an obsessive persona. Poe raises the notion of what justifies an unambiguous thought process, rather than pure rationality. It is indisputable that Poe was under the influence of alcohol during his writings, but rather than a clouded judgement, did Poe experience true enlightenment during these