THE BLACK CAT

Edgar Allan Poe

Romantic Traits:
The protagonist has a friendly character and even loves his pets and his cat the
most.
Issue:
The story of a man who, because of alcohol, changes his personality and is
capable of committing the most heinous acts.
Structure:
Introduction:
The protagonist is going to die the next day and recounts the causes of his
sentence, which is all the following. He recounts how in his childhood he felt
great affection for animals and his humanity. He marries and lives in his home
with a multitude of animals. His favorite pet is a cat named Pluto, over time the
protagonist changes character becoming a more irritable and moody person,
the animal itself suffering the consequences.
Body:
At one point the protagonist is drunk and loses his temper gouging out the
animal's eye. Then things go back to what they were before, the protagonist is
still just as bitter but it increases with the irritation and impulses that the cat
produces in him. So one morning he hangs him from a tree in the garden with a
great feeling of guilt. That same night a fire breaks out in his house, destroying
his few assets. The entire house is demolished except for a wall on which the
figure of a cat appears. A feeling of terror comes to the protagonist, which
diminishes with a logical reasoning that fails to leave him with a clear
conscience. In the later time, the protagonist does not stop suffering remorse for
what he did, and misses the presence of the animal. One day he finds a cat
similar to Pluto that has a white patch on its fur, and it continues to become a
member of the family. The next day the cat appears one-eyed and begins to
follow and harass the protagonist. He begins to dislike the new pet and to feel
overwhelmed because he follows him around. His hatred and revulsion grows
enormously when he discovers that the cat's white spot had become clearer
and showed the image of a gallows.
The protagonist: he is a docile and kind man, he has a great fondness for
animals, but his entire character changes because of alcohol, he becomes
perverse, rude, irritable, violent and capable of carrying out true atrocities. He
ends up in jail.
The wife: she Has the hobbies of her husband before she changes. Later she
is mentally and physically mistreated, she ends up murdered by her husband.
The cat Pluto: It is the protagonist's favorite animal, it is very cunning and
affectionate, until his master changes, then he becomes distant. He ends up
hanged from a tree and is the cause of all the paranoia that his master suffers.
The other cat: he is also very affectionate and follows his master everywhere,
even though he hates him. He ends up giving him away to the police with his
moans.
Conclusion
I think it is a somewhat fictional story and at the same time realistic. Since it is
very difficult for a house to burn down and a well-distinguished painting of a
hanged cat to come out. But it is also true that alcoholism causes certain
changes in a person's personality, and these can lead to acts as heinous as
those mentioned. Personally, I quite liked the story because I like intrigue
novels and the like. The only thing that would have changed would have been
that it ended so suddenly, he would have tried to keep the story going after
finding the body.