Engels lees dossier

Name: Dina el Ghayyati Fares & Dilara Kaya

Class: V6A

Subject: English Literature

Teacher: P. Dias de Oliveira

Inhoud
List of references .................................................................................................................. 3
Reading autobiography ......................................................................................................... 4
The Sentry (1954) by Frederic Brown ................................................................................... 5
Summary: The Sentry (1954) by Frederic Brown .................................................................. 6
Review: The Sentry (1954) by Frederic Brown ...................................................................... 6
Story of an Hour (1895) by Kate Chopin................................................................................ 7
Summary: Story of an Hour (1895) by Kate Chopin .............................................................. 8
Review: Story of an hour (1895) by Kate Chopin................................................................... 9
Lamb to the slaughter by Roald Dahl .................................................................................. 10
Summary: Lamb to the slaughter by Roald Dahl ................................................................. 12
Review: Lamb to the slaughter by Roald Dahl ..................................................................... 12
Tell-Tale Heart (1843) by Edgar Allan Poe .......................................................................... 13
Summary: Tell-Tale heart (1843) by Edgar Allan Poe ......................................................... 14
Review: Tell-Tale Heart (1843) by Edgar Allan Poe ............................................................ 15
The Black Cat (1843) by Edgar Allan Poe ........................................................................... 16
Summary: The black cat (1843) by Edgar Allan Poe ........................................................... 18
Review: The black cat (1843) by Edgar Allan Poe ............................................................... 18
Harrison Bergeron (1961) by Kurt Vonnegut ....................................................................... 19
Summary: Harrison Bergeron (1961) by Kurt Vonnegut ...................................................... 20
Review: Harrison Bergeron (1961) by Kurt Vonnegut .......................................................... 21
Balance sheet report ........................................................................................................... 22

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List of references
● Brown, F. (1954), The Sentry
● Chopin, K. (1894), The story of an Hour. United states: Vogue
● Dahl, R. (2012). Lamb to the Slaughter (A Roald Dahl short story). Penguin UK.
● Poe, E. A. (1843), The Tell-Tale Heart. The Pioneer: James Russell Lowell
● Wall, R. (2020). Stylistic Devices: An analysis of “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe published
in 1845. GRIN Verlag.
● Vonnegut K. (1961), Harrison Bergeron. United States: The Magazine of Fantasy & Science
Fiction

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Reading autobiography
This will be about my reading journey from when I was a kid until present day. I read a lot and I still
do. When I was younger I used to read about everything like fairies, mermaids and princesses. Of
course I read them in Dutch but the older I got the more interested I was in English books.

When I was in middle school I used to read books like : A Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Geronimo Stilton.
But when I got into high school I discovered an app called Wattpad. You can read as much as you like
and in whatever language you want. First I read books in Dutch but when I discovered that I also
could read books in English I started to be curious. One day I decided that I wanted to read in English
so I went on the app and just clicked on a book I found interesting. First it was very difficult but I
understood a little because I watched English movies and series, the more I read in English the better
I was getting.

My grades went up and I understood everything a lot better, I also had an enormous vocabulary. I
read so much English that I couldn’t even speak proper Dutch anymore. I still have some difficulties
with speaking and I even developed a stutter or that my mind just goes blank when I try to explain
something in Dutch. Sometimes I speak Dutch and English at the same time because I can’t
remember some words in the Dutch language.

I still read in English on the Wattpad. I also have a specific kind of genre that I read. I just love
fanfiction or science-fiction. I just find it so interesting and it’s probably because I have a very big
imagination. Something that also interests me is books filled with angst as head theme, it makes
reading special and relatable. It shows that not everything is all rainbows and sunshine, which makes
it realistic.

I’m reading almost every free moment, it doesn’t matter in what mood I’m in, there is always time to
read. It also doesn’t matter where I am, because I can read everywhere.

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The Sentry (1954) by Frederic Brown
Setting
The story is set on a planet where it is cold, wet and windy and it is fifty thousand lightyears from the
infantryman's home. The story doesn't make clear when it happens. You only know when the story is
written and that is in 1954.

Story figures
The infantryman is the main character in the story. He is on a different planet than his own. You also
have the human creatures, there is not a lot to tell about them because we don't have an insight on
them.

Way of telling
The story is written from a third person perspective. And the third perspective is limited and
omniscient.

Theme
The theme in this story is post war because the story was written in 1954. That was a few years after
World War 2.

Irony
There are two types of irony in the story: verbal irony and situational irony. The situational irony is
that the aliens are the humans and the ´humans´ are the aliens. The verbal irony is how the narrator
thinks about the ‘aliens’ and says that they are horrible creatures with only two arms, eyes, legs and
pale skin with no scales. For him that’s really strange and not normal while for us it's all what we’ve
known.

Title statement
The title of this story is ´The sentry´ and that means a soldier who is stationed to guard at a place.
The main character is the infantryman and that means a soldier who fights on foot. So it is
connected to each other because this story is about a war.

Writing style
This story is written in a standard written style, that means that it is more formal than usual. There is
a sound device used and that is onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia is the use of words that sound like
their meaning, in this story it's the word shudder.

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Summary: The Sentry (1954) by Frederic Brown
The story is about a creature also known as the infantryman. He is on an unknown planet and is fifty
thousand light years from home. He was fighting a war and the aliens were there too. When they
first met they immediately started to shoot at each other and they didn’t try to communicate or
make a deal for peace.

The infantryman was wet, cold, hungry and the wind hurt his eyes. He had to stay on full alert with
his gun ready in his hands. The horrible creature was coming closer to him so he opened fire. The
alien made a strange noise and then there was only silence. The terrible and disgusting monster,
with only two arms, legs and eyes and pale flawless skin was dead.

Review: The Sentry (1954) by Frederic Brown

I found this story very intriguing because of the way the narrator told the story. He made us think
that the character was a normal human being in a war with aliens, while the infantryman was
actually the alien. I found it really touching at the moments where there stood that he had to fight a
war but he wanted to go home, because it reflects a lot of people who go to war but never wanted
to be there in the first place. I think a lot of soldiers feel that way.

What I also find really moving is how the alien explains how humans actually are, because believe it
or not us humans can be very cruel especially during a war. So it is important to see how such an
experience is for the other side of a war.

I don’t think I can compare this story to any book I’ve ever read, but definitely to a tv-Serie called:
the 100. It reminds me of how a group of young people had to fight on unknown territory for their
lives, they also couldn’t negotiate for peace and immediately had to prepare themselves for a war
they didn’t want to happen. They had to live in a world they didn’t know.

For me the language that was used was not complicated but actually easy, I definitely understood a
majority of the story without any problems. I definitely recommend it to anyone who reads this to
read the story because it was very interesting and very educational. It’s also a good story for an
English class because you can say much about the subject.

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Story of an Hour (1895) by Kate Chopin
Setting
This story is set in the house of Mrs. Mallard and although it's not in the story we think that the time
is around the late nineteenth century, because at that time this story was written.

Story figures
Louise Mallard is the main character in the story. She is married to Mr. Mallard and she is afflicted
with heart trouble. Another character in the story is Mr. Mallard. He is the husband of Louise
Mallard and is also the person who ´died´ in a train accident. Lastly we have Josephine. She is the
sister of Mrs. Mallard and also told Mrs. Mallard about her husband´s death.

Way of telling
The story is told in a third person perspective. The third perspective in this story is limited and
omniscient. The narrator only tells about how Mrs. Mallard feels and what she thinks of the whole
situation.

Motives
The motifs in the story are sorrow and joy. These are used to highlight how tragedy Louise releases
from her sorrow and gives her a joyous hope for the future. At first sorrow appears when she hears
about the death of her husband, but then she finds joy in the event as she discovers what life feels
like without a husband.

Theme
The main themes in the story are freedom and time. After she heard about the death of her husband
she is confronted with the fact that she is a free woman now. She is relieved that she doesn't have to
live for anyone but herself. And it is a matter of time that she realizes that she doesn't have to ask
for permission from her husband anymore and that she can do anything she wants. So now she can
become an independent woman.

Symbolism
The heart is traditionally a symbol of an individual's emotional core. The first sentence of “The Story
of an Hour” informs us that Mrs. Mallard has heart troubles. Her physical heart problems symbolize
her emotional heart problems as it relates to marriage

Irony
The irony in the story is that Mrs. Mallard's sister was afraid that Mrs. Mallard would die when she
heard that her husband was dead, but she died when she saw he was alive. She was so relieved
when she realized that she was free and that she could do whatever she would choose. And that is
when the story says; of the joy that kills. When she saw her husband alive she knew that everything
she dreamed about would not happen.

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Title statement
The title of this story is ‘Story of an hour’ and the reason why the author called it that is because
everything that has happened, happened in an hour.

Writing style
The story is written in a standard written style with devices of style imagery, because the story gives
us an insight of how Mrs. Mallard dreams about life and all the things she can do now that her
husband is dead.

Summary: Story of an Hour (1895) by Kate Chopin

The story is about a woman named Louise Mallard who was afflicted with heart trouble. Her sister,
Josephine, just told her that Mr. Mallard ‘died’ in a train accident. After Mrs. Mallard heard the news
she immediately locked herself in a room and began to cry. But soon her sadness turned into relief,
she realized she was finally free. Now she doesn’t have to ask for permission from her husband
anymore and can become an independent woman.

When her sister managed to get Mrs. Mallard out of her room they walked downstairs and there
they had the shock of their lives. There he was, Mr. Mallard, walking through the front door and
carrying his grip-sack and umbrella. The moment Mrs. Mallard saw her husband alive she had a heart
attack and died. The doctors thought that she died of a heart disease- of the joy that kills.

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Review: Story of an hour (1895) by Kate Chopin
I found this story actually very touching, because of the way it reflected females in the 19th century
and even in some cases now. It’s about a woman who was trapped in a loveless marriage and how
relieved she felt when she heard the news of her husband's death. I find it very sad that some
women have to feel relieved when they hear that they don’t have to see their husbands anymore
just because they feel suffocated or very unhappy.

The part that Mrs. Mallard sits in a room and cries because she finally felt like an independent
woman who can make her own free choices impacts me the most because this is so very true and
underrated, females have the right to feel like their own person and shouldn’t feel trapped in a
marriage. The part I find most annoying was the part where they found out her husband wasn’t
actually dead because she didn’t get to experience what would have been the best time of her life,
also because the shock truly killed her.

I can compare this book to a lot of movies because there are quite a lot about women who are in
similar situations like Louise Mallard. I think that this should be addressed as a bigger issue in the
world because there are more than thousands of women who are in even worse situations like the
character.

I recommend this story 100% for all males and females because this gives you a lot of insight into a
woman’s mind about situations like this. It gives you a better empathy system, especially as a male. I
feel as if a lot of men don’t actually know or can empathize with us women because of how little
they truly know. I hope that stories like these can give them more knowledge and feelings about
similar topics as these.

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Lamb to the slaughter by Roald Dahl

Setting
This story takes place in the mid-20th century, because it was first published in 1953. The story was
set in Maloney’s house, but the location isn’t specified. There was a moment in the story where the
main character went to the grocery shop.

Story figures
Mary Maloney is the protagonist of the story. She is married to Patrick Maloney, a police officer, and
is a housewife. In the story she is six months pregnant, and is devoted to her marital duties. Then we
have Patrick Maloney, he is well known and has friends at his work. Last we have Jack Noonan, the
sergeant on the police force and a good friend of Patrick. He is well acquainted with the couple thus
knows Mary as well.

Way of telling
This story is told in a third person perspective and by an anonymous narrator who functions as an
observer of the characters. The third person knows what Mary Maloney thinks and feels, but does
not make further comments regarding the other characters. This is why we say that the narrator has
a point of view limited to Mary’s perspective. This technique allows the reader to understand her
motivations and mental state.

Motives
The motif of justice and injustice is explored as Mary initially appears as a victim of her husband's
cruelty but later becomes the perpetrator of a crime. The way justice is served, or rather not served,
in the story is a key motif, as the police eat the evidence, unknowingly allowing her to escape
punishment.

In the story, where only one female character exists, it’s evident that the motif of male domination is
prevalent. The recurrent reminder, whether overt or intuitive, that Mary is a pregnant woman in a
man’s world fortifies every emotion Mary experiences and every action that takes place.

Theme
Deception and Appearances: Mary Maloney initially appears as a loving and caring wife. Her sudden
transformation into a murderer is entirely unexpected, highlighting the idea that people's true
natures can be hidden behind their outward appearances. The story suggests that anyone,
regardless of how they seem, may have a hidden side.

Revenge and Consequences: The story also touches on themes of revenge and the consequences of
impulsive actions. Mary's murder of her husband is an act of revenge for his betrayal, but she
doesn't fully comprehend the consequences of her actions until later in the story.

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Symbolism
The Leg of Lamb: The leg of lamb is a central symbol in the story. Initially, it represents domesticity
and the traditional roles of husband and wife, as Mary is preparing it for her husband's dinner.
However, it transforms into a symbol of violence and the unexpected when Mary uses it to murder
her husband. The lamb leg is a physical representation of the abrupt and shocking shift in the story's
tone and events.

The Pregnancy: Mary's pregnancy is briefly mentioned in the story and serves as a symbol of her
vulnerability and emotional state. Her husband's decision to leave her while she's pregnant adds
emotional depth to her character and provides a motive for her actions, as she is protecting her
unborn child.

Irony
Character Irony: Mary Maloney is initially portrayed as a gentle, caring, and devoted wife. The irony
lies in her transformation into a murderer who kills her husband. Her actions are the opposite of
what one would expect from her character.

Verbal Irony: There's verbal irony in the story when the police officers comment on the murder
weapon, the leg of lamb, saying things like "probably right under our very noses" and "it's probably
right under our very eyes." They unknowingly speak the truth but in a way that contradicts their
understanding of the situation.

Title statement
The title of the story, "Lamb to the Slaughter," is ironic. On the surface, it refers to the lamb that
Mary Maloney prepares for her husband's dinner, symbolizing domesticity and care. However, it also
symbolizes her husband, Patrick, who becomes the unsuspecting victim of her crime, turning him
into the "lamb" led to the "slaughter."

Writing style
Roald Dahl's writing style in "Lamb to the Slaughter" is marked by its combination of dark humor and
a focus on irony and surprise. These elements contribute to the story's unique and compelling
narrative style.

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Summary: Lamb to the slaughter by Roald Dahl
The story begins with Mary Maloney, a devoted housewife, preparing dinner for her husband,
Patrick. However, he shocks her with the news that he's leaving her. In a fit of rage, Mary strikes him
with a frozen leg of lamb, killing him.

To cover her tracks, she devises an ingenious plan. She goes to the grocery store to establish an alibi,
then returns home and calls the police, pretending to be distraught. The police investigate the
murder but fail to find the murder weapon. As a gesture of goodwill, Mary serves the lamb to the
police officers.

The story ends with an ironic twist, as the officers unknowingly devour the evidence. Mary gets away
with murder, highlighting the theme of the unexpected and the irony of justice.

Review: Lamb to the slaughter by Roald Dahl

"Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl is a brilliantly crafted and darkly humorous short story
that subverts expectations. The story opens with Mary Maloney, a seemingly devoted and
loving wife, learning that her husband wants a divorce. In a sudden fit of rage, she kills him
with a frozen leg of lamb. What follows is a suspenseful and darkly comic narrative of her
efforts to cover up the crime. The story masterfully explores the theme of the unexpected, as
Mary's transformation from a gentle housewife to a murderer is completely unforeseen.

Dahl's storytelling skill is evident in the way he keeps the reader engaged through the
narrative's pacing and the unexpected twists. The story is a fascinating exploration of human
behavior and the lengths people will go to protect themselves and their secrets. Moreover,
Dahl's use of irony, both in the title and the narrative itself, adds layers of complexity to the
story. It makes it more intriguing to read instead of a constant predictability, which makes it
more tedious.

The author highlights the idea that appearances can be deceiving, making it a thought-
provoking commentary on the unpredictability of human nature. The story's dark humor and
clever narrative structure make it a classic in the realm of short fiction, leaving readers with
much to ponder about the nature of crime and justice.

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Tell-Tale Heart (1843) by Edgar Allan Poe
Setting
The story is set in the house of an old man. Also from the place where the narrator tells the story but
that is unknown here. The time is between midnight and 4 am.

Story figures
The main character is the narrator, whose name you don’t know. He is the caretaker of the old man
and loves him dearly but he despises the vulture eye. The side character is the old man, whose name
is also not known, he is the man with the vulture eye. There are also the police officers who come in
the end to see if everything was alright.

Way of telling
This story is told from a first person perspective because the narrator tells the story to the person
reading it.

Motives
The motif in this story is the eye. The eye is the reason why the narrator wants to kill the old man.
He doesn't feel any hate for the old man, but he is sick of seeing that eye. He wants to get rid of it
and that is the moment that he realizes that the only way to get rid of it is by killing the old man.

Theme
The theme in this story is guilt and innocence. Guilt because in the end of the story he cannot handle
hearing the ‘heart’ and confesses his crimes to the police men. That is a way of saying that a human
heart cannot endure the burden of guilt. Innocence because the narrator thinks that loving the old
man but killing the vulture eye justifies that he killed him.

Symbolism
The main symbol in the story is ´heart´. Which is the heart of the dead old man that beats so loudly
that the guilty murderer can hear him and the old man's vulture eye. The dead man's heart keeps
beating so loudly that he admits the fact that he is guilty.

Irony
In this story there is verbal irony, because of how the narrator in the beginning tries to convince the
reader that he is not insane and that he is smarter than most people with a disease but he is actually
just not in the right set of mind.

Title statement
The title of this story is ‘Tell-tale heart’ and the reason why it’s called that is because in the end the
‘heart’ that he hears beating is what made him confess his crimes to the police men. So in a way the
heart that he heard made him tattletale his own crimes.

Writing style
The story is written in a standard written style. The device of style is imagery because you can fix a
story in your mind and make pictures of it in your head. There is also personification used in this

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story because the narrator gives the vulture eye of the old man a persona, he tells about it like it’s a
whole other person.

Summary: Tell-Tale heart (1843) by Edgar Allan

Poe
The story is about a man who is convinced that he is not crazy but instead has a disease. He keeps
saying to someone that he is not insane and that he had to do what he did. He works for an old man
who has an unique eye, that he calls the vulture eye. He despises the vulture eye but loves the old
man dearly.

Every night, between midnight and 4 am, for a week he creeps into the old man’s room and waits till
there is an opportunity to kill the vulture eye. Unfortunately every time he is in the room the vulture
eye is closed. Upon the eighth night he accidently made a noise which woke the old man up,
therefore the vulture eye was open.

For an hour they both were wide awake and did not move until he heard the heartbeat of the old
man getting louder and louder. He thought that the sound would be heard by a neighbor. So he
decided that the old man’s hour was up. He dragged him to the floor and suffocated him with the
old man’s bed. After he made sure the old man was dead he chopped his body into pieces and hid
his remains underneath the floor.

At 4 am in the morning the police officers stood in front of his door. The neighbors called the police
after they heard a shriek. The police wanted to check if everything was alright, so the man showed
them around the house. He was filled with pride after the police couldn’t find anything suspicious.
He sat with the police officers in the room from the old man and he set his chair right above the
remaining on the floor. Suddenly he heard the same sound of the heartbeat of the old man. It kept
getting louder and louder until he couldn’t take it anymore. He confessed his crimes to the police by
screaming and showing them where he hid the rest of the old man’s chopped body.

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Review: Tell-Tale Heart (1843) by Edgar Allan Poe
I absolutely adored this story because the genre was horror and I adore horror stories. I was really
invested because while we read there was the same audio on so it was felt as if we were in the story.
You could really read what was going on inside a mentally unstable person’s head and that is
absolutely important to think about. Not everyone is interested in that but if we would put ourselves
in other people their shoes it would prevent a lot of assumptions and more resolutions to people
their problems.

The most thrilling part of the story was the moment that the narrator had to be very cautious and
quiet because the old man woke up during the night. I didn’t like the moment that the narrator
confessed his crimes to the police because he worked very hard and smart to hide all the evidence of
the night before. It was in the end all a waste to me, but realistically it shows how much impact a
conscience can have on a person’s mind and body.

I can relate this story to another story of Edgar Allan Poe named The Black Cat, because I remember
that the narrator also killed someone and did his very best to hide it but in the end he managed to
get himself caught. For me it gives a message that no matter what heinous crime you commit and
how much you deal with it, the truth will always come out in the end. Whether that is sooner or
later.

There were some difficult words but I understood most of it so for me it wasn’t a big problem. I
would definitely recommend this book to another student for an English class because it is a very
interesting topic to talk and read about. It gives you challenge to form an own opinion and how
certain perspectives can change the way how you think drastically.

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The Black Cat (1843) by Edgar Allan Poe
Setting
The story does not specify a particular location, but it takes place within the confines of the
narrator's home. The narrative unfolds in various rooms and spaces within this house, including the
cellar, where a significant event occurs. The time period in which the story is set is also not explicitly
mentioned, but it seems to be in a relatively distant past.

Story figures
The unnamed narrator is the story's protagonist and also the story's unreliable narrator. He starts as
a compassionate and animal-loving individual but descends into alcoholism and cruelty, leading to a
series of violent and immoral acts. The narrator's wife is also unnamed in the story. She is initially a
loving and supportive spouse who joins the narrator in caring for their pets, including the black cat.

Pluto is the first black cat owned by the narrator. Initially, Pluto is the narrator's favorite pet, but the
cat's behavior and appearance change after the narrator's descent into alcoholism and cruelty. The
second black cat enters the story after Pluto's death. It appears to be nearly identical to Pluto,
except for a small white patch on its chest. This cat becomes a significant source of terror and guilt
for the narrator.

Way of telling
It is a first-person narrative, with the story being told from the perspective of the unnamed narrator.
The narrator tells the story in a confessional style, addressing the reader directly and offering a
detailed account of the events that have transpired.

Motives
Love for Animals (Initial Motive): At the beginning of the story, the narrator expresses a deep
affection for animals. His initial motive is to care for and protect his pets, including the black cat,
Pluto. He describes himself as kind and gentle, driven by a love for his pets.

Alcoholism and Cruelty (Motivation for Change): Over time, the narrator's motive changes as he
descends into alcoholism and cruelty. His drinking problem leads to a transformation in his behavior,
causing him to become abusive toward both animals and his wife. His motive shifts from love and
kindness to anger, aggression, and self-destructive tendencies.

Guilt (Motivation for Murder): The guilt over his violent actions against Pluto and the fear of being
discovered by others motivate the narrator to commit a more heinous act. He feels a growing sense
of remorse and paranoia, which drives him to murder Pluto, hoping to rid himself of the constant
reminder of his guilt.

Theme
Psychological Horror: "The Black Cat" is a prime example of psychological horror. It delves into the
theme of the fragility of the human psyche and the dark depths of the human mind. The story
reveals how a person's mental state can deteriorate, leading to irrational and violent behavior.

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Symbolism
The Black Cat (Pluto): Pluto, the narrator's first black cat, is a central symbol in the story. Initially, the
cat represents the narrator's affection for animals and the benevolent side of his character.
However, as the narrator descends into alcoholism and cruelty, Pluto undergoes a transformation,
becoming a symbol of the narrator's own moral deterioration and guilt. The cat's missing eye, a
result of the narrator's violence, symbolizes his own moral blindness.

The Noose: The image of the noose that the narrator paints on the second black cat's chest
symbolizes the impending doom and punishment that the narrator believes he deserves for his
crimes. It foreshadows the story's dark conclusion.

Irony
Situational Irony: The narrator, who starts as a kind and loving person, ends up committing heinous
acts of cruelty and violence against his pets. This drastic change in his behavior is a prime example of
situational irony. The narrator attempts to kill his second black cat in a fit of rage but ends up
mistakenly killing his wife instead. This twist of fate is a profound example of situational irony.

Irony of the missing eye: The narrator's first black cat, Pluto, loses an eye as a result of the narrator's
violent act. The loss of Pluto's eye symbolizes the narrator's moral blindness and guilt. The second
black cat, which resembles Pluto, also has one eye. This detail is ironic because it symbolizes the
inescapable connection between the narrator's past and his present actions.

Title statement
The title of the story serves as a straightforward and symbolic representation of the central element
around which the narrative revolves. The black cat, specifically Pluto and its successor, is not only a
physical character but a symbol of the narrator's moral decay and guilt. The cat's presence and
transformation reflect the narrator's descent into cruelty and madness, making it a key figure in the
story's exploration of human nature, guilt, and the consequences of one's actions.

Writing style
The story is characterized by its gothic imagery, rich vocabulary, first-person narration, and its ability
to immerse readers in a world of psychological horror and moral decay.

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Summary: The black cat (1843) by Edgar Allan
Poe
The black cat tells the harrowing tale of a man who descends into madness and cruelty. Initially, he is
a gentle soul who loves his pets, especially his black cat, Pluto. However, as he becomes consumed
by alcoholism, he undergoes a sinister transformation, abusing his animals and eventually
committing a heinous act.

He murders his beloved cat, Pluto, and then, in a fit of rage, kills his wife. He hides her body in the
wall of their home. As guilt and paranoia overwhelm him, a second black cat, resembling Pluto,
enters his life, intensifying his fear.

He paints an image of a noose on the cat's chest, but it is he who becomes ensnared in a web of his
own making. His dark and confessional narrative reveals the tragic consequences of his actions,
leading to his own demise.

Review: The black cat (1843) by Edgar Allan Poe

"The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe is a classic tale of psychological horror and moral
decay. It is a chilling exploration of the darker aspects of human nature. The story is narrated
by an unnamed protagonist who initially appears kind and loving, particularly towards
animals. However, as the story unfolds, we witness his descent into madness and cruelty,
driven by alcoholism and guilt.

For me it reflects the present world, because we have a lot of different cases what changes
a person. Nowadays is alcohol a big contributing factor especially if you mix it with the easy
accessibility to drugs. It can transform a person from a loving and kind character to the
nastiest and most selfish personality within weeks.

Poe's writing style is masterful in creating an atmosphere of dread and unease, immersing the
reader in the narrator's deteriorating mental state. The use of the first-person perspective intensifies
the horror, as we witness the narrator's growing obsession with a second black cat, which
symbolizes his guilt and impending doom.

This tale delves into themes of guilt, the unreliability of human perception, and the destructive
consequences of one's actions. The story's intricate use of symbolism, irony, and foreshadowing
adds depth to the narrative, making it a deeply unsettling and thought-provoking read.

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Harrison Bergeron (1961) by Kurt Vonnegut
Setting
The story is set in the house of the parents of Harrison Bergeron and the studio where the ballerinas
were dancing. This story was set in 2081.

Story figures
The story figures in this story are Harrisson Bergeron. He is an intelligent and handsome boy and he
was arrested. Then we have his parents Hazel and George. George has a handicapper general
because he is a smart and wise man. His wife Hazel doesn’t have this, because she isn't as smart and
wise as her husband. She doesn't understand a lot of things and when George is asking her a
question she can't answer it because she can't think.

Way of telling
The perspective in this story was in the third person and it was omniscient. Because you could read
what everyone was thinking and feeling, you could also read what everyone was doing.

Motives
A major motif in this story is the sound transmitted to George's ear when his thoughts must be
disrupted before he can have any experience of thinking.

Theme
The main themes in this story are equality, individual exceptionalism and freedom. Equality because
the whole story is about how the government made everyone equal to each other, individual
exceptionalism because everybody has different handicaps to make them equal seeing that
everyone has their own things that make them not equal for example the other is more beautiful
than the other person. Freedom because the handicaps prevent people to be their own person and
do what they would like, for example somebody who is a very good athlete has to wear heavy
handicaps so that person can't do what they’re good at.

Symbolism
The handicappers that everyone wears is a symbol of no freedom. Because it prevents individual
exceptionalism.

Irony
The central irony of the story is the handicap system used by the government to ensure that all
members of the society are equal. Instead of allowing everyone to have the same advantages so that
each can reach his or her full potential, the essential corrections in this futuristic society have
disadvantaged its members so that no one is better than anyone else. No one is smarter or more
talented than any other person. Equality is usually interpreted as everyone having the same
advantages, not the same disadvantages.

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Title statement
The title of this story is ‘Harrison Bergeron’ because the character Harrison Bergeron is the one who
had changed everything and stood up for what he believed in. He is the one who spoke up about the
way the government wanted to control people instead of having everyone have their differences.

Writing style
This story has a mix of standard written style and conversational style. Because the way the story is
told is a bit more formal than normal but in the conversations are normal informal words used. The
story has a device of style named imagery, because you can picture the situations in your mind
because of the details in the story about a person etc.

Summary: Harrison Bergeron (1961) by Kurt

Vonnegut
This story is about the world in the year 2081 where everyone is equal. No one was smarter, quicker,
stronger or prettier than anybody else. All of this stood in the law made by the United States
Handicapper General. To make sure that everyone was following the rules the Handicapper General
made everyone wear handicappers. For instance if someone had a higher IQ than the rest of the
citizens that person had to wear a mental handicap radio in their ear.

One day the fourteen-year old Harrison Bergeron was taken away and put in jail. His parents, Hazel
and George, were sitting in front of the tv watching ballerinas dance. They were talking on the couch
with the tv on until one of the ballerinas announced that their son had broken out of prison. They
showed a picture of him and said that he was a genius, plotting to overthrow the government.
Everyone had to be aware of the danger that he brought with him.

Suddenly there was a shriek of a door being thrown off. And there he was a living, breathing
Harrison filled the screen. He stood in the center of the studio screaming that he was the ruler. He
was looking for a partner to rule with him and he finally found one. It was an extremely beautiful
ballerina. They began to dance and kiss with each other, until Diana Moon Glampers came into the
studio and shot the two partners.

After that moment the tv-screen turned black and Hazel was crying. Her husband was gone for a
minute but came back. He asked why she was crying but she couldn’t remember. They both went on
with their lives not knowing anymore what just happened.

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Review: Harrison Bergeron (1961) by Kurt
Vonnegut
I actually find this story very realistic because even now in some ways the government controls the
citizens. The problem is not as big in the story but it’s still a massive issue in our society. Like for
instance how the government decides that women can’t wear burkas anymore so they somehow
control what we wear. Or how in the united states you can not have a legal abortion, which controls
the right of having complete control over your body.

I liked in this story how Harrison Bergeron stood up for being his own person and not being the same
as everybody else and how he didn’t want to wear those handicappers just so he would be average.
Even though he did it in a slightly violent manner, in some cases it is the only way to get people their
attention to finally let them realize what is happening. What I didn’t like is how Diana Moon
Glampers killed Harrison and his partner just because he didn’t want them to control him anymore.
Instead of everyone being equal, it shows that you have to be equal in a manner that pleases the
higher authorities.

I know that everyone has the right to be in control of their own body and mind, so it frustrates me
every time I read that people with a higher power want to be In control of other human beings. I
really think that the government control should stop, with that I mean that the government
shouldn’t be abusing their power just to be more powerful or more in control then the rest of the
world. I think that they should be using that power instead for the people who are victims of a war
or live in a warzone, even better the poor people who have no food or water to survive. They should
use that power to fight the immoral acts of certain people in the world and not letting them exert
their own desires unto the rest of the world.

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Balance sheet report
I am going to tell you about the books/stories I've read for this class. I've read in total 6 short stories,
those are:

● The Sentry
● Story of an hour
● Lamb to the slaughter
● Tell-tale heart
● The Black Cat
● Harrison Bergeron

It was very interesting to read all of them, because they were all about different subjects. The one
was about feminism, the other was about horror and murder and you had one about equality. So it
was very different from each other which is refreshing. My top three were:

1. Harrison Bergeron
2. Tell-tale heart
3. Story of an hour

Harrison Bergeron is number one because it shows how the government controls citizens and it’s
actually a very important message that not being equal is actually a good thing. Nowadays everyone
wants to be like each other while being different is what makes everybody special. Being treated
equally is what matters, not being the same person.

Tell-tale heart is for me on number two because I love horror/thriller books/stories. I just love the
thrill when you are reading something and you have no idea what is about to happen and then a
surprise comes in. I was just always interested in that. Edgar Allan Poe has a very original way of
telling stories that I like.

Story of an hour is number three because it's obviously about women. I love to read about women
becoming independent and how they stand up for themselves because it shows how strong women
are in general. The reason this has become number three is because the story was short. If the story
was longer I would have probably put it on number one. I am always interested in hearing how
women deal with their problems and how they're going to solve it, it just always spoke to me. It
makes me realize that if given the opportunity women could solve a lot of the problems, only they
are not being heard in some aspects.

I recommend those stories to every student who has to choose English books for their class because
it is very interesting to read and in my opinion not boring. There is a lot to tell about every story so
you always have material to write in an essay or assignment.

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