Summary:
The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe, is a short story structured in the form of a confession, wherein an unreliable Narrator admits his substance abuse and details a string of increasingly sinister deeds. The opening paragraph is a hodgepodge of contradictory statements, with the Narrator ensuring readers of his sanity while also referring to events incomprehensible to someone with a mind that is “more calm, more logical and far less excitable,” than his own. It is but a snippet of what’s to come, as the Narrator continuously does this throughout the rest of the story.
Following this addled opening the Narrator gives readers an introduction of sorts, explaining his docile disposition, introverted nature (deeming the relationships between men “gossamer” and “paltry”), how he came to find a kindred spirit in his wife and his love for animals; especially his black cat, whom of which he describes as if he were a wizened old man: “Sagacious to an astonishing degree.” However, this is a sentiment that starts to feel suspiciously manipulative as it proceeds the beginning of the Narrator’s actual confession; as if it was all a ploy to garner what sympathy he could before admitting his heinous acts.
The Narrator goes on to admit his struggles with alcohol and the abuse of both his wife and animals, describing how his irrational resentment towards them first led him to mutilate and then hang his cat. During these instances, the Narrator flip-flops between damning himself and speeches that almost attempt to justify his actions by involving the reader themselves through the use of rhetorical questions and direct address. This contradictory nature is also present during the following events, as the Narrator (who at this point had made reference to the supernatural numerous times) attempts to rationally explain how an imprint of the titular cat could be left on the only remaining wall of his house after it mysteriously burned down.
More intoxicated nights follow and, in the midst of his drunken stupor, the Narrator details how he eventually came across another one eyed cat; one that he immediately adopted in the hopes of filling a hole left by his previous pet’s absence. Yet, he still came to resent the creature just as he did with the last but this time it wasn’t because the cat avoided him, it was the complete opposite. The cat’s apparent “delight” towards the Narrator disgusted him, which was only worsened by the fact that it became a “favourite” of his wife’s.
This aversion towards the animal soon turns into outright terror as its white underbelly suddenly morphs into an image of noose, sending the Narrator into a frenzied state of panic. He begins referring to the cat as a “brute beast,” and how he no longer had “the blessing of rest,” while in its presence. During this sequence readers also learn that the Narrator has been writing his account from a “felon’s cell,” foreshadowing the climax of the story and spawning theories to explain the Narrator’s behaviour.
Unable to withstand the torment any longer, the Narrator makes an admission of his plans to murder this cat too. However, when he attempts to do so, his wife interferes and as result is killed instead. The Narrator’s description of the act and meticulous explanation of how he hid her body, is eerily devoid of emotion and – unlike the rest of this story – feels uncomfortably clinical. What makes the act that much more sickening and cruel is the Narrator’s unhinged sense of triumph he feels after successfully hiding her body within the walls of his home and avoiding suspicion.
He is, however, inevitably caught when the police come to inspect his home. Arrogantly – or perhaps because he subconsciously wanted to be caught and punished – the Narrator draws attention to the walls as the Police are leaving, from which the sound of muffled sobbing suddenly breaks out. Naturally, the officers tear down the wall, revealing the rotting corpse of the Narrator’s wife with the cat sitting on her head.
The Narrator’s Mental State and Relationship with The Cat
It is clear from the Narrator’s contradictory language and despicable acts that his psyche is a little more than warped. Whether or not this is because of issues that have followed him since childhood or solely a result of his substance abuse – as he claims – is left up in the air. Regardless, the focus is ultimately centred on the consequences of the Narrator’s actions and the guilt that lingers thereafter.
At a first glance it may not seem like the Narrator feels much guilt at all. He recognises his actions as sin (dubbing the hanging of his first cat a “damnable atrocity,”) and deems himself deserving of judgement, yet describes feelings of “half remorse,” towards his misdeeds whilst also continuously making subtle attempts to victimise himself and somewhat shift the blame of his actions. For example, before admitting the murder of his cat the Narrator veers off into a tangent about the “spirit of perverseness.” He describes it as “impulses of the human heart,” and the desire to “violate that which is law,” while also making use of direct address and rhetorical questions. It’s a speech that feels as if the Narrator is attempting to reach out to the reader and make them an accomplice to his crimes, lightening the responsibility he may feel on his own shoulders. In some instances, the Narrator will also make reference to the occult and supernatural (“The fury of a demon instantly possessed me,”) to make it appear as if he wasn’t in control of his own body and will repeatedly use words like “because,” to his actions into reactions.
However, when taking a closer look at the relationship between the narrator and both of the cats (or rather just the one) we can in fact see feelings of guilt and even self-loathing, both of which manifest in “perverse” ways. For starters, I believe the cat – overall – is supposed to be a representation of the Narrator’s alcoholism and how it has damaged his marriage. The fleeting mention of the Narrator’s wife is an intentional device that suggests his hesitancy to confront the pain he has caused, while the references to her undying patience can be compared to the compliance and unconditional love of the Narrator’s animals. We can even infer the progression of their relationship through the behaviour of each iteration of the cat and the Narrator’s differing reactions to them.
The Narrator describes the cat avoiding him on the nights he returned home inebriated and, unable to properly process the consequences of his behaviour, the man developed a bitter hatred towards the creature rather than looking inwards and properly addressing the feelings the reaction caused . This situation potentially played out with the wife in the cat’s place instead and the Narrator lashed out at her in some way. His avoidant nature and ensuing attempts to rationalize events could be further indications of these repressed feelings, all the while his self-loathing continues to build up and manifest as resentment projected outwards.
The introduction of the second cat (or second version of it) and the Narrator’s antagonistic view of it, is perhaps an embodiment of this ‘latent’ guilt finally catching up with him; inflicting a toll on his heart and mind too heavy and too difficult for him to manage, once again causing these emotions to manifest through violent outbursts. This is further shown through the cat’s (wife’s) natural delight towards the Narrator, with the disgust it causes him insinuating that he does not feel deserving of such treatment.
The Narrator’s cold reaction to murdering his wife and his meticulous plan to conceal the evidence juxtaposed against the tense passion seen when he hung the cat, is another indication of this progression in their marriage. The resentment and torment from his own misdeeds had at that point become too much to bear, meaning that the murder of his wife acted as a release from those emotions which in itself suggests that the act was predetermined. Yet following the murder, readers still get a glimpse of that ‘latent’ guilt, as the Narrator acts in such a way that suggests he wants to be caught and punished. For example in the line: “(in the rabid desire to say something easily, I scarcely knew what I uttered at all) – ‘I may say an excellently well-constructed house. These walls – are you going gentlemen? – these walls are solidly put together’,” the Narrator, strangely, draws attention to the very walls he hid his wife’s corpse behind – as if was actively trying to help the Police find her.
As mentioned previously, the fact that the Narrator is writing his account from behind the bars of a cell presents another theory as to why the short story is full of contradictory language. The Narrator, while deeply troubled either way, may still be capable and manipulative enough to intentionally create the facade of insanity to avoid the death sentence. This would also give greater context to the desperation felt within certains instances of the story – like the opening introduction for example – and support the idea that cat is nothing but a front for his abuse.
Confessionalism and Catharsis
Confessionalism and catharsis are very similar literary devices, with the former being – as the name might suggest – writing that is distinguished by the revelation of someone’s thoughts and confessions and the latter being a method of releasing suppressed emotions. The style was popularized by Sylvia Plath with her deeply personal and tragically beautiful poems but had still been around many years prior and is not limited by that specific medium.
So, moving away from the analysis of the fictional elements of the Poe’s story, I want to explore its themes and how they directly link to the author himself. Poe struggled with alcoholism throughout his life among many other hardships and though it is not as transparent as works from writers such as Plath, The Black Cat is still a confessional piece centred around those issues. Whilst his experience certainly wouldn’t have been as macabre and supernatural, I believe the emotions and the certain ways that they were represented were very real and impactful to Poe; primarily the effect his drinking might have had on his wife, what it did to his mind and the slew of self-hatred brought with it. Like the Narrator’s subconscious desire to be caught, I believe Poe wrote this to profess his inner demons, expunge his frustrated feelings and perhaps work through his destructive flaws all under the guise of a short story – with the truth being somewhat twisted of course. Because of this, The Black Cat is easily identifiable as a cathartic piece of art and one that takes a slightly less obvious approach to the style.
Gothic Influence
The Black Cat’s ties to the Gothic genre are immediately apparent even in the short story’s opening paragraph. “Wild yet homely narrative,” creates the image of the extraordinary clashing with the mundane, a classic trope within the genre that is further expanded on by the Narrator’s juxtaposing proclamations of sanity and madness. It sets the precedent for the rest of the tale and delivers on it in full.
Littered throughout The Black Cat are references to the macabre and the occult, from pestilence and rotting corpses to God and demons; not to mention the titular cat himself, who just from his appearance evokes superstition and old folk tales of witches and witchcraft. The themes of “perverseness,” and blatant power gaps between the Narrator and his unfortunate victims also links to idea wildly unbalanced relationships between individuals and the conflict of power that they represent. While it isn’t explored in as much depth as something like Bram Stokers Dracula (1897) – nor does it bear as much of an emphasis on sexuality – the concept is still lightly touch upon, soldifying its place among the genre.
The Narrator’s mental anguish and struggle against supposed otherworldly forces is another staple of the genre, with a similar narrative structure seen throughout countless other works. The layers of ambiguity and uncertainty weaved throughout the entirety of the story further strengthen these bonds to the style, attempting to disturb audiences with the unknown rather than tangible threats.
Witchers and Witches 