The dictionary defines guilt as a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, wrong, ect., whether real or imagined. Edgar Allan Poe 's writings portray guilt in many aspects. Guilt can be seen in all of his work, but especially in his short stories. Edgar Allan Poe 's The Black Cat and The Tell-Tale Heart are two of his main stories that revolve around the theme of guilt. The Black Cat is one of Edgar Allan Poe?s famous short stories. ?This first- person narrative falls into the realm of Horror/ Gothic Literature, and has been examined in association with the themes of insanity and alcoholism.?[endnoteRef:2] The story is about a man, a woman, and their cat. The man in the story is also the narrator. Throughout the story, the man realizes his ?mental deterioration? and tries to prevent it; however, he is not able to, and he spirals into ?madness?.[endnoteRef:3] Another story by Poe in which a man spirals into madness is The Tell-Tale Heart. These two stories are often linked together due to the ?profound psychological elements these two works share.?[endnoteRef:4] [2: (Lombardi, 'The Black Cat '- Short Story By Edgar Allan Poe)] [3:
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His parents separated when he was very young. He lived with his mother Elizabeth, his brother Henry, and his sister Rosalie. When Edgar was two, his mother died. All three children were separated. Edgar moved around a lot. He went to good schools and studied in England for a while. He later went into the army, but did not stay for very long. Poe married his cousin Virginia. She, like his mother, died at a very young age. This led to Poe?s drinking and psychological problems.[endnoteRef:18] Looking back today, we can see that he had depression, along with some other disorders. How Poe died is still a mystery today. Some theories are: alcohol, disease/ medical problems, and cooping. Cooping happened during an election day. [18:
His parents separated when he was very young. He lived with his mother Elizabeth, his brother Henry, and his sister Rosalie. When Edgar was two, his mother died. All three children were separated. Edgar moved around a lot. He went to good schools and studied in England for a while. He later went into the army, but did not stay for very long. Poe married his cousin Virginia. She, like his mother, died at a very young age. This led to Poe?s drinking and psychological problems.[endnoteRef:18] Looking back today, we can see that he had depression, along with some other disorders. How Poe died is still a mystery today. Some theories are: alcohol, disease/ medical problems, and cooping. Cooping happened during an election day. [18: