The Black Cat

By Edgar Allan Poe

Group members:
1. Deny Ardiansyah
2. Nur Aliyah
3. Olivia Claresta Pratiwi Jerau
4. Regita Agulia
5. Ryan Agustira
6. Yusroh Masruroh Fauziah

On a journey into the fictional world of Edgar Allan Poe, we are faced with a journey into the
alluring darkness, where the human spirit is tested by unfathomable crimes and dark
secrets. In his famous short story, "The Black Cat," Poe explores the dark realm of humanity
and immerses readers in a series of shocking, tragic events. By understanding the literary
elements and social issues contained in this story, we can find a deep reflection of human
complexity and its impact on society.

In the early 19th century in the United States, Edgar Allan Poe emerged as one of the most
influential writers in literary history. His dark and gloomy works are not only entertaining, but
also present deep reflections on the human condition. "The Black Cat" is one of the best
examples of Poe's works that highlight the dark side and madness of humans.

In "The Black Cat", Edgar Allan Poe uses themes, symbolism, time and place setting,
conflict and plot to depict the inner conflict of humans, in addition to raising social issues
such as regret for wrong actions and violence against animals, showing its relevance in
modern society.

— Body 1

(Theme)
“The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe reveals a deep reflection of human complexity. The
narrator plays a role in the complexity of the human psyche, which has two different sides:
good and bad. Uncontrollable bad emotions drive humans to madness and heinous acts and
end up harming. The narrator's mistreatment of his beloved black cat illustrates how
emotions become uncontrollable and end tragically.
(Symbolism)
"The Black Cat" serves as a powerful symbol that is a source of fear and horror
reflecting a mental deterioration. It mentioned in the paragraph 5 line 5, The cat is described
as the witch, “made frequent. It is said that after killing his cat, he (the narrator) experienced
a catastrophe in which his house burned down, after which fear always haunted him and
tormented his mind which caused him to become crazy and psychologically disturbed then
this prompted him to commit a more tragic act of killing his own wife. The alcohol is the
symbol that he begins to view the black cat as an outward manifestation of everything the
narrator views as evil and unholy, blaming the animal for all his woes, it is his addiction to
drinking, more than anything else, that seems to be the true reason for the narrator's mental
decline. It mentioned in paragraph
(Atmosphere)
 In addition, the dark atmosphere of the house, filled with negative emotions due to the
narrator's madness, creates a sense of unease within. The narrator kills his beloved pet and
then kills his own wife. Even the relationship that should have been the main focus of his
healthy and happy household falls victim to his deteriorating mental state.

—- Body 2
(Conflict)
The main conflict in the story "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe is the narrator's
internal conflict with his own emotions and actions. The narrator is an alcoholic who
becomes violent and abusive to his pets and wife when he is drunk. He suffers with his guilt
and mental pain after gouging out Pluto's eye and hanging him, and his guilt eventually turns
to anger. Caused him to murder his wife in a fit of rage. The narrator cannot accept his guilt
and becomes increasingly violent, viewing the cats as his enemies. This internal conflict
stems from the narrator's desire to conceal his crimes and his growing sense of guilt and
regret, which eventually leads to his downfall.
(Plot)
The story begins with the narrator describing his life with his pets and his wife. Problems
begin to arise when he becomes addicted to alcohol and becomes mean to his cat, Pluto.
The violence continued until the narrator’s house caught fire and even after adopting a new
cat. The climax occurs when the narrator’s wife is victimed(?) and dies. His guilt took over,
but he did the wrong thing by burying his wife’s corpse into the wall. In the end of the story,
the narrator was punished for his actions because the authorities discovered the wife’s body
and heard the cat's cries. The narrator, with his unstable emotions, speculates that the cat
he saw was not his new cat, but Pluto, that no longer exists.

— Body 4
(Social Issue)
narrator in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat," we all have a bit of this "perverseness." This
flaw in the narrator's life is what led him down a destructive path which ultimately ended in
the death of his beloved cat and wife. Beginning with his alcoholic problem, readers follow
the journey of a madman who follows through with the evil side of himself. For instance, he
knew he should not drink because he turned into a completely different person, possessed
by "the fury of a demon," yet he continued to do so anyway.
The narrator shows readers that this way of life exists in all of us. What we as
readers need to recognize from this story is we should never use the "spirit of perverseness"
as an excuse to live poorly and commit foul crimes. When we act against our own morals
and commit to the malevolent side of ourselves, the consequences can come back to haunt
us.

— Conclusion