THE BLACK CAT

In this paper we will be looking at how repression played a role in The Black Cat by Edgar Ellen
Poe. The beginning of the story lays in light the shame that our character will continue to feel
throughout the story, the same shame that will bring about his downfall. He almost seems
desperate to have someone look at the extent of the things he has done and assure him that it was
all natural. He goes on to talk about how he was known even as a child to be very docile and
going into his adolescent years he had formed deep loving connections to animals; this part –
knowing how the story ends – seems like he is trying to understand how he even could do the
things he has done, there is a feeling of trying to prove to the us – the reader – that he isn’t a
monster, just an out of control man. I knew the moment I read the part about his wife saying all
black cats are witches that it was the perfect foreshadowing, this would be proven correct later.
With that on our minds, the line “We had birds, gold-fish, a fine dog, rabbits, a small monkey,
and a cat.” our character is still trying to prove his kindness to us and perhaps a bit to himself. He
mentions how close he has gotten to Pluto by calling him “my favorite pet and playmate”. Now
at this point in our story he starts talking about how with the effects of the devil alcohol he has
grown to be a more angry, dissatisfied man which resulted in him abusing his wife along with
their pets. When talking of removing one of Pluto’s eyes (I could barley bring myself to read this
part from the very anger I felt against this man) in his blind fury he says his soul has left him and
a demon possessed him, this seems a poor attempt at his mind trying to convince itself that he
isn’t capable of such horror; there is a need to dehumanize himself so that he can pretend like he
hasn’t worsened enough to do such a thing. (I wish to include this line “Have we not a perpetual
inclination, in the teeth of our best judgment, to violate that which is Law, merely because we
understand it to be such?” because I have not had a single day where I have not thought of it
since I read because it is so achingly correct.) The cat from the beginning is a subconscious
reflection of him which can be seen when at the beginning of his addiction he mistreats everyone
but Pluto because at the beginning there is still the old him somewhere inside but as time goes,
we see him slowly lose himself; he is plagued by this deep sense of shame for becoming an
incompetent as well as constantly harmful man by reason of his like for alcohol. The cat reminds
him of who he used to be, like salt on a fresh wound. Every time he sees the cat, he is reminded
of his failure but since it is a hard emotion for him to deal with, he represses it. The violence he
inflicts on everyone comes from his repressed shame and disappointment towards himself
displaced as anger as well as hatred of the world around him. In the eye scene with Pluto perhaps
who he is hurting is not Pluto but himself, perhaps it’s a punishment he intended for himself and
perhaps when he kills the one-eyed poor cat, he wishes his atrocities would be hanged off with
him but I believe it’s also a sort of killing of his old self too. When his house is burnt and all that
is left is the cat we wonder if the cat really was a witch that took its revenge, hopefully it was but
sadly it probably more was about how no matter what he does he could not escape his mind.
After these events he goes looking for another cat in his feeling of remorse, its almost like he
wants a do – over like he wishes to get another cat so that he can prove he is capable of being
nice to one, to prove the previous experience was just an exception. He is able to form a nice
relation with this cat but soon the inevitable seizes him – and us – he again feels the same hatred,
he refers to it as a loathing of the animal for loving him. I wonder if this comes from a place of
him not being able to recognize himself, at this point, as someone loveable; maybe he thinks if
he opens his heart to the animal, it might smell the blood of Pluto on his hands. Later he admits
that the place and shape of the white mark on this new cat reminds him of his crimes which
makes him want to get rid of the cat, the same kind of repressed shame returning as anger and
loathing. He is able to do all these things but not able to face them? The story telling here starts
getting a little frantic, he is no longer trying to prove his humanity to us, maybe because as he
himself confesses he no longer resists the evil thoughts. With his wife and Pluto gone, there isn’t
a trace of who he used to be left; the docility, the loving personality finally able to go forgotten.
He can now carry out his atrocities without the pang of guilt which I think is why the last parts of
the story seems so much happier and calmer. In a way there is nothing to put pressure onto his
repressed emotions anymore, he is free. Well, he is free until his cockiness hands him over to the
cops. Anyhow, in the end, if this man ever talked about his emotions instead of abusing everyone
he probably would be sitting comfortably in his home with his loads of pets and absolutely
to-die-for wife but God forbid men talk about their emotions…