A literary comparison of Edgar Allan Poe´s "The Black Cat" and "The Tell-Tale Heart"

Term Paper , 2011 , 18 Pages , Grade: 2,0

American Studies - Literature

"And much of Madness and more of Sin And Horror the Soul to the Plot." This line taken from Edgar Allan Poe’s poem ‘The Conquerer Worm’ perfectly describes the
essential elements featured in many of Poe’s poems and stories, on which I am about to write
in particular. Madness and horror, sins and the ‘Imp of the Perverse’ - The Evil, which lies
within all of us - are popular and frequently recurring motives in Poe’s literary works and
thereby create a mood and atmosphere quite dark and nightmarish. The reader is offered a
deep glance into the abyss of the human mind and psyche.
In this term paper I’m going to draw a comparison between two of Poe’s short stories, which
both deal with the above mentioned concepts and images and therefore, are counted to the
Gothic Genre - ‘The Black Cat’ and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart.’ The main focus of my work will
lie on the similarities of the storytelling structures and the speech Poe uses to convey this
certain feeling of suspense, horror and thrill. I will examine which further motives and images
Poe uses in this two stories and which function they fulfil.
I’m going to carry out my researches primarily with the help of the books: ‘Poe’ by Walter
Lenning, ‘Poe – A Biography’ by Frank T. Zumbach, ‘The Cambridge Companion to Gothic
Fiction’ by Jerrod Hogle and ‘The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings’ by Edgar
Allan Poe.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• I. Introduction
• II. Definition of Gothic Fiction
• III. The Black Cat
  • Speech and story devices
    • The Narrator
    • Story Structure
    • Images and motifs
      • Black/The Black Cat
      • The Eye
      • The Imp of the Perverse
      • Religious Motifs
• IV. The Tell-Tale Heart
  • Speech and story devices
    • The Narrator
    • Story Structure
    • Images and motifs
      • The Heart
      • The Evil Eye
      • Time
• V. Comparison and Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This term paper aims to provide a comparative analysis of two short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, "The Black Cat" and "The Tell-Tale Heart," focusing on their storytelling structures, speech devices, and recurrent images and motifs. The objective is to explore how these elements contribute to the creation of suspense, horror, and thrill in the narratives. Key themes explored in this analysis include:

• The role of the narrator in shaping the reader's perception of horror and madness
• The power of imagery and symbolism in conveying psychological and emotional states
• The presence of recurring motifs, such as the eye, the heart, and religious imagery, in creating a sense of unease and darkness
• The exploration of the human psyche and its capacity for both good and evil
• The relationship between the Gothic genre and the depiction of psychological terror

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The first chapter provides an introduction to the term paper, highlighting the key elements of madness, horror, sin, and the "Imp of the Perverse" prevalent in Poe's works. It introduces the two stories, "The Black Cat" and "The Tell-Tale Heart," as examples of Gothic fiction. The second chapter defines Gothic fiction, tracing its origins to the European Romantic Period and its essential characteristics, such as pseudo-medieval settings, mystery, and terror. It explores the role of gloomy, antiquated spaces, supernatural elements, and psychological hauntings in creating a sense of unease and suspense. The third chapter examines "The Black Cat," analyzing the narrator's speech and storytelling techniques, the recurring image of the black cat, and the symbolic motifs of the eye, the "Imp of the Perverse," and religious imagery. The chapter delves into how these elements contribute to the story's overall atmosphere of darkness and terror.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

Gothic fiction, Edgar Allan Poe, "The Black Cat," "The Tell-Tale Heart," storytelling structures, speech devices, images and motifs, the eye, the heart, the "Imp of the Perverse," religious imagery, narrator, suspense, horror, psychological terror.

• College: University of Paderborn (Institut für Anglistik/Amerikanistik)
• Course: Proseminar American Gothic
• Grade: 2,0
• Author: Selina Schuster (Author)
• Publication Year: 2011
• Pages: 18
• Catalog Number: V233119
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656497011
• ISBN (Book): 9783656497547
• Language: English
• Tags: comparison, edgar, allan, poe´s, black, tell-tale, heart