The Pit And The Pendulum By Edgar Allan Poe

The Uncertainty of Death Death is the final destination of a person’s life and when faced with the harsh reality of death this impending idea of doom begins to alter a person’s path of thinking causing them to become more reckless. In the short story “The Pit and The Pendulum’ the author Edgar Allan Poe continuously outlines the darkness of imminent death as the narrator is faced with multiple obstacles which he must overcome in order to escape. The thought of ones life ending puts a large amount of pressure on an individual. After death is an unknown concept; some believe there is an afterlife, a chance of rebirth or eternal darkness. The horrified concept of near death causes panic or pressure in a human’s mind. The uncertainty of the …show more content…
The narrator was strapped down with a bladed pendulum hanging above, he rubbed meat on the straps surrounding him to cause the rats to devour the straps inturn freeing him. When the narrator had executed his plan he did not think of the many other possibilities there would be, “With the particles of the oily and spicy viand which now remained, I thoroughly rubbed the bandage wherever I could reach it; then, raising my hand from the floor, I lay breathlessly still” at that time he was inching closer and closer to death so he took a chance at freedom. He believed that the rats would free him by eating the straps although at that moment he did not think whether or not the rats would not only eat the straps but also eat his body. Due to the pressure of impending death he simply took a gamble and did not fully think about his plan, his thought process had been disturbed by this fear that he no longer feared the other possibilities. Ironically his fear of death itself had caused him to not fear other scenarios where he may die since it was already coming; therefor he was ready to take his chances. Knowing that death was near caused a sense of obliviousness, he was not thinking properly about his surroundings and what was to come. When the narrator woke up to find a pitcher and bread he did not stop to think whether or not there was a problem with these two things “Upon arousing, I found by my side, as before a loaf and a pitcher of water”. He did not question why the people who were trying to kill him were giving him food, in turn being the reason he survives. Without thinking of the circumstances who wished for his death were giving him food. This shows how when someone is faced with the idea of death their judgement becomes