The Cathartic Process

Cathartic Process: Project Proposal

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Idea Development

For my final project proposal I had to come up with three concepts for either a short story or a collection of poems, all which had to link back to Sylvia Plath or Edgard Allan Poe in one way or another. Before anything, I began by brainstorming some of my ideas on paper; briefly breaking down their plot points, themes and how they relate to confessionalism. 

After outlining a few ideas, I picked four of my favorites from the bunch to further develop for my pitch: 

  • ‘The Foxes Always Scream at Night’

My first idea is a psychological, short horror story that follows a student’s descent into hellish night after they witness the corpse of a fox move. The main themes I want to explore through this short story heavily relate to mental health, specifically insomnia and ‘late night’ anxieties as these are issues personal to me. Naturally, this concept is also influenced by the gothic genre (in terms of the dread and tension I aim to create) and Poe’s works. 

  • ‘Rat Catcher’ 

This is another horror short story (a recurring theme in my work) that revolves around a writer’s investigation into a strange clicking sound coming from within the walls of their home. This story is intended to be an allegory for creative blocks and the difficulties some artists face when it comes to starting new projects, a problem that I struggle with myself. 

  • ‘The Spider of Watkin Manor’

Rather than a short story, this is a poem told from the perspective of a spider as they witness the sinister goings on of Watkin manor. Just like my previous ideas, this will feature horror elements akin to the Edgar Allan Poe’s: The Raven.

  • ‘Eyes’

Another poem, ‘Eyes’ is a story told in the form of a panicked account as the speaker outlines the last week of their life and how they believe that they are being followed by supernatural entities – evoking baser, paranoid fears. 

Out of these ideas I chose three for my final pitch: ‘The Foxes Always Scream at Night’ and both of the poems. Even though I was excited about my ideas for ‘Rat Catcher’ it ultimately felt less developed than my other short story and I only wanted to use one for the presentation. 

Inspiration and Research:

As mentioned previously, these concepts all link to Sylvia Plath and Edgar Allen Poe as their approaches to confessionalism and catharsis inspired parts of my work. I found myself particularly interested with Poe writing due to its gothic and horror influences, genres that I am particularly interested in. However, Plath’s emphasis on mental health is something that I can personally relate with and, as a result, is something that I have also attempted to integrate into my work. So in preparation for my pitch, I went back to my earlier work analysing the writers’ texts – refreshing myself of some of their art and what made them so effective. 

However, during this process I also found inspiration from other writers such as Stephen King and Emily Carrol, who have both created their own anthologies of horror stories. Their work is some of my favourite in the genre and helped me better understand how to craft effective horror and translate it to a short story format. 

Another source of inspiration came from a different medium entirely. The video game, Dishonoured: Death of the Outsider, features a mechanic that allows players to communicate with rats, wherein they give players tidbits of information that can aid them in their tasks. This sparked my idea to write a creative piece from the point of view of a some sort of verminous creature, which eventually became ‘The Spider of Watkin Manor’.

Finally, some of my real life experiences have also inspired these concepts. Fortunately I haven’t had any interactions with talking spiders or supernatural entities, but simple everyday occurrences have snowballed into grander ideas – similarly to what happened when I came up with ‘The spider of Watkin Manor.’ One of the most prominent examples is how I came up with ‘The Foxes Always Scream at Night,’ as the trilling of foxes is something that I would often hear on the nights I was struggling with insomnia. The association of these two things helped form the supernatural foundation for my short story’s horror elements. 

Zine:

When thinking about the actual format and medium of these short stories and poems, I plan on presenting them in the zine format by combining my writing with various illustrations relevant to the stories’ contents. For example, in ‘The Foxes Always Scream at Night’ I could include a fox on each page that slowly becomes more decrepit as the story goes on. I want to create these drawings myself, similarly to what I did when creating a post for my writing instagram page: 

After completing my research and finishing the overviews for each concept, I compiled different parts of my notes in a powerpoint for the pitch:

Reflection

Rationale:

During my pitch, most of the questions I received were related to my short story rather than my poems – leading me to believe that was where most of the interest lay.  Naturally, this has influenced my decision on what idea to go with for my final project as it appears the concept of my poems might not have been as intriguing as my short story. However some of these questions were asked with the purpose of clarifying, what seemed to be, slightly confusing aspects of my pitch – which might be telling of my presentation skills rather than the quality of the ideas themselves. 

Concept:

Based on the feedback I received from the presentation and my overall confidence with the story when compared to the others, the concept I have chosen to pursue further is “The Foxes Always Scream At Night.” With this story I would also be writing in traditional, a style that I feel I am more skilled at than poetry. 

Evaluation:

I found the preparation for my presentation to be a beneficial task as It gave me an opportunity to get various ideas onto paper before tightening them up and developing them further. However, I feel that the organisation of the notes I took during this process could have been neater as, looking back on them now, I can see how they might seem confusing. I believe that this is an issue that affected my presentation directly since, as mentioned previously, I had to clarify some of my ideas. 

This however might have also been thanks to my general speaking skills as I found actually presenting my ideas to be a nerve wracking experience. In the future  I think I could benefit from creating myself a script beforehand, so that I am not just reading from a powerpoint. Speaking of, I didn’t include a slide on zines which as a result meant I had to improvise what I wanted to say about them on the spot. For future projects, I will ensure that I am fully prepared and check that I have met all the requirements of whatever task I may be working on. 

I was satisfied with the layout of my powerpoint, as I think that it was neat and aesthetically matched the tone of the concepts I presented. Though I am only further developing one of them, I am mostly confident in the rest of my concepts and hope to pursue them as well at some point in the future. 

Bibliography:

  • Full Dark, No stars and The Bazaar of Bad dreams, by Stephen King
  • Through The Woods, by Emily Carroll
  • The Black Cat and The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe
  • Insomniac, by Sylvia Plath
  • Dishonoured: Death of the Outsider (2017), a game from Arkane Studios

The Raven: Summary and Analysis

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Summary

The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe, is a poem about a widowed man reading alone one night when he is suddenly visited by a raven that can only say: “Nevermore.” What ensues is a tragic descent into madness as the speaker desperately grasps at what little hope he can by asking the bird about his future and his wife, with each inquiry being shot down by that simple phrase: “Nevermore.” Enraged by the Raven’s answers, the speaker attempts to make it return to the “nightly shores” but quickly realises that it’s there to stay and thus succumbs to his grief; his soul now cast in shadow “Shall be lifted – nevermore!”

The Speaker’s Mental State and Relationship with the Raven

It is evident that the speaker is a deeply depressed individual struggling to work through the grief of losing his love (Lenore); who is first mentioned in the second stanza with the line: “From my books surcease of sorrow – sorrow for the lost Lenore – for the rare and radiant maiden whom angels the angels name Lenore – nameless here for evermore.” Readers see that he is obsessed with the macabre and supernatural, making constant reference to it while also occasionally fixing his attention on the darkness of his home: “Deep into darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.” He is also quick to cling onto any sort of distraction, evidently seen when the Raven first appears as he almost seems enchanted by its presence: “Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling.” This is not just because of his grief, but also because of his lack of company hinted at with “Other friends have flown before,” further emphasizing his loneliness and his despondent mood. 

As for the Raven itself, it’s clear that it is a metaphor for the speaker’s grief and an embodiment of the crushing hopelessness that he feels. When it first appears, the Raven seems regal but unnatural with constant reference being made to the Roman God, Pluto, and the “nightly shores of the underworld.” Despite the speaker’s apprehension towards the bird, he still seems to enjoy its presence and – as mentioned before – the distraction it provides. However, as it continues to reinforce answers to questions that the speaker already knew (that he won’t ever see his love again) with that simple phrase, “Nevermore,” the speaker becomes enraged and completely crumbles – dubbing it a “fiend”  and ordering it return to “The Night’s Plutonian Shore!” But the Raven is there to stay, seemingly becoming a part of the decor itself (“On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door,”) to haunt the speaker forever – a tragic reflection of grief itself. 

I mentioned previously that the Raven gave the speaker answers that he already knew, this is because it is suggested throughout the poem that the bird is nothing but a manifestation of his mind. “Nevermore,” closely relates to the speaker’s dialogue from stanzas one to six, wherein he tries to dismiss the strange goings on in his house with lines such as: “‘Tis the wind and nothing more!” The speaker even acknowledges this himself later on in the poem when he comments on the Raven’s words, “What it utters is its only stock and store caught from some unhappy master.” Additionally, the speaker switches between various explanations concerning the Raven’s nature, referring to it as a “tempest” in one instance and then a messenger for ancient Gods in another. This added layer of unreliability only further hints at his unstable mental condition and that the bird is just a figment of his imagination. 

Confessionalism and Catharsis

Poe wrote The Raven while his wife was deathly ill, which provides a lot of context to the themes seen throughout. The suffocating sense of hopelessness enshrouding the poem was perhaps a representation of the feelings Poe felt while grappling with the reality of losing his wife. The speaker’s descent into madness could also be Poe expressing his own harrowing journey and the addled state the tragic event left his mind in. The deep depression and loneliness the speaker suffers throughout was likely a reflection of his own, sadly insinuating that there was no one else there to help him and his wife get through such a horrible experience. The choice of using a raven to represent the speaker’s (and Poe’s) grief is also significant, as they are commonly considered as ill omens; inferring that Poe had little hope from the start that his wife would recover from her illness. 

Romanticism

Romanticism is a literary movement that surfaced in the 18th century, rejecting the principles of rationality and the reasoned approach towards the world to instead focus emotion and the individual. It created art that embraced imagination and wasn’t afraid to express the irrational feelings that are a part of the human experience. 

Poe’s confessional pieces are examples of this movement, as his stories used the supernatural as a tool to explore his emotions and his struggles. The Raven is no different, with its emphasis on love and grief being at the forefront of the poem. Readers truly grasp the level of torment he endured and begin to feel the pain in his words. Poe also shows his dedication to his wife and clearly depicts the utter sense of loss he would be left with without her, emphasising the confessional nature of the poem and making it that much more personal. 

The fact that Poe so willingly opens his heart to his readers also allows them to relate to the writer and his experiences. People may have suffered similar tragedies and reading a piece like The Raven can potentially provide the same amount of catharsis that writing it did; ultimately creating a deeper connection between the artist and audience members. 

The Black Cat: Summary and Analysis

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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. 

Read my written notes here:

Sylvia (2003) Analysis

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Plath and Hughe’s Relationship

Sylvia (2003) tells the real-life and heart-wrenching story of the famous poet, Sylvia Plath, and her abusive relationship with her husband, Ted Hughes. Their relationship, at least the version presented to viewers in this film, starts out as a passionate love affair that quickly spirals into something darker which almost acts as a warning to rushed marriage and young love in general. Hughes becomes increasingly unfaithful and cruel over the course of their relationship which constantly causes Plath to succumb to stress and paranoia, falling into heavy depressive episodes. Yet despite all of that, the two seem to be always drawn back to one another. Plath especially becomes unhealthy dependent on the relationship, putting aside her own needs just to satisfy Hughes’.

Sylvia’s Mental State

As mentioned previously, Plath experiences more depressive episodes as their relationship goes on, marking an obvious decline in her mental health. Even at the start of their relationship, when Plath seemed confident and proud of work, Sylvia showed fleeting glimpses at a perpetual sadness hiding behind her bright smiles and flirty behaviour. The casual treatment and openness towards her past suicide attempts and fascination with the macabre were also hints of this. That’s not to say she didn’t experience moments of genuine happiness, however. She loved Hughes and relished the moments they shared in those first few months. She became elated every time her work was praised and cared deeply about her family. But she began to cling desperately to those moments as everything became overshadowed by Hughes’ mistreatment of Sylvia. Quite literally in some cases, as Plath began to feel as if she lived in his shadow, constantly experiencing a feeling of inferiority while never being able to properly let her writing and other needs flourish.

Sylvia’s Writing Routine and Inspirations

Sylvia’s writing and mental state were seemingly linked. When she couldn’t write, either because of a lack of inspiration or a lack of time thanks to the unrealistic duties pinned on her, she became despondent and at times evasive – finding menial tasks to eat up time and prevent her from having to confront her work. Then, whenever Hughes wasn’t around Plath was endowed with new vigour and passion, channelling all of her hate and pain into her poetry. It quickly became evident that Sylvia found inspiration in this pain, constantly referring to her own mental anguish, Hughes and the passing of her father. It was even insinuated that her father’s death was the catalyst of her depression and part of the reason she became so dependent on her relationships; either with Hughes or Thomas towards the end of the film.

Did Hughes Love or Respect Sylvia?

The very first time Plath and Hughes meet, hints at Hughes unfaithfulness are already shown as – despite the dancing and their shared passionate kisses – he ultimately concerns himself with another woman that enters the room. However, for a short time this is the only instance where the audience – and Plath herself – are clued into Hughe’s true colours, as he goes on to almost treat Sylvia as an equal; discussing poetry with her and even encouraging her work, which at first was probably just a front to get into her pants. But as they spent more time together I believe that Hughes did develop genuine emotions for Plath, or rather a vision of her that he had crafted in his head. And when Sylvia didn’t conform to this unrealistic image he became bored and betrayed her, but never left her completely because of this past connection.