The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe - Book Report/Review Example

That he is an alcoholic makes the characterization even more diabolic. Pluto, God of the underworld. Symbolically, the Black Cat is Pluto, the Roman God of the underworld. Pluto controls the hell and symbolizes the devil. The narrator’s action in gorging out the eye of his pet animal, the black cat, is mind-boggling. It amounts to torture of the ultimate level. To conceal his guilt, the narrator commits another senseless act. He hangs the cat in the backyard but the evil strikes back.

The cat resurrects and itches for revenge, the narrator’s house is on fire and burns to the ground and he observes the image of a large black cat originating through the fire on the only wall that was still intact. He can still see the rope tied to its neck. After the fire, the narrator sees a black cat resembling Pluto, in a bar and takes it home. He observes the next morning that the second cat is without one eye, which reminds him of his dark deeds. Conclusion The narrator does not lead the readers on a wild goose chase and is sane enough to understand the reactions of the readers for his insane acts.

The details given in the story are not by a dreamer, but the one who knows the consequences of his ill-boding quests. He does not expect sympathy or rejection by the readers and his intentions about story-telling are deliberate. His psyche drives him to the point of insanity and at that stage, he just cannot help acting diabolically. He expects them to think about the unthinkable and believe the unbelievable.