Symbolism In The Black Cat By Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe’s stories all have some type of mysterious setting that makes the reader read in between the lines and decipher the meaning. His stories also incorporate a great deal of violence and sinister acts, which adds a grimness to each story he tells. “The Black Cat” is a true work of literature that incorporates a hidden meaning in the story with the use of sinister violence. In this particular story, the narrator’s use of the first-person point of view, symbolism through the characters, and the eerie setting create a fascinating tale.
Edgar Allan Poe’s story is told from the first-person point of view. The twist to this story, though, is that Poe is not actually in it. The narrator is anonymous and keeps it that way through the whole …show more content…
This clue comes from the text saying, “I married early, and was happy to find in my wife a disposition not uncongenial with my own” ( Poe 435). The narrator of this story constantly uses the singular pronoun “I,” signaling to the reader that he is referring to himself. The point of view never changes throughout the story. Since the story is told in the first-person omniscient point of view, it adds a great deal of suspicion to the text. The suspicion comes from the narrator. In the beginning of story the narrator states that he is sane and was noted for his docility and humanity of the civil world. In fact, the narrator states, “My tenderness of heart was so conspicuous as to make me the jest of my companions” ( Poe 435). This gives the reader the impression that the narrator was noted by actual people for his kindness. As the story progresses, this view quickly changes …show more content…
The symbolism can be very difficult to understand, but if one observes the text very carefully, he or she can understand what it is symbolizing. The symbolism comes from two of the characters in the story: Pluto, and the second cat that the narrator brought home later on in the story. A reader needs to keep in mind that when the cats are introduced into the story, the narrator had already began to become delusional. These cats symbolize the guilt that follows the narrator throughout the story. The first cat, Pluto, symbolizes how the narrator will never get rid of the evil in his life. In the story, Pluto loved the narrator and followed him wherever he went. No matter where the narrator went, Pluto was sure to be there. This connection between Pluto and the narrator symbolizes how the evil thoughts that the narrator began to fathom would follow him throughout his life. That is why the narrator cut one of Pluto's eyes out, hoping to scare the cat away. This symbolizes the first way the narrator is trying to get rid of the evil in his life. The narrators devilish attempt failed, though. Later on in the story, Pluto shows back up after the narrator thought he had scared Pluto away. At this point, this infuriates the narrator and he kills Pluto by hanging him from a tree. This symbolizes how the narrator tries to completely rid his life of all evil that is associated with his life. Pluto may have been a cat in the