This term paper deals with Edgar Allan Poe´s short stories "The Black Cat" and "The Tell-Tale Heart", which are both examples of men who give in to a strange inner force which Poe himself calls "perverseness".
His notion of this term is explicitly used in what could be called his "short-story-essay": "The Imp of the Perverse".
First of all it is neccessary to explain what Poe meant by this certain force, apart and beyond the ordinary understanding of "perverseness".
After that his two tales of terror mentioned above will be compared according to their common themes.
First a short summary of each will be given, followed by the point-of-view-technique Poe uses for a certain purpose.
Then the victims of the stories and the narrators´ causes of fear will be explored. Both tales obviously deal with the causes of domestic violence that occur as the result of an irrational fear (either superstition or ancient belief).
Then both protagonists will be characterized as perverse criminals who give in to their dark side and annihilate themselves.
Furthermore there´s a discussion of narrative style and images and the ending of the stories.
At last especially "The Black Cat" is explored considering its content of truth.
So the reader may see that Poe gave us two little masterpieces in human psychology to think about: The "spirit of perverseness" is lurking in everybody...
Table of Contents
I. ABOUT PERVERSENESS
II. "THE TELL-TALE HEART" and "THE BLACK CAT" in comparison
(1) Summary of "The Black Cat"
(2) Summary of "The Tell-Tale Heart"
(3) Point of View
(4) Victims and the causes of fear
(5) The protagonist
(6) Narrative style and images
(7) Denouement
(8) Truth or just fantasy?
CONCLUSION
Objectives and Topics
This academic paper examines Edgar Allan Poe’s concepts of psychological perversity and self-destructive impulses as portrayed in the short stories "The Black Cat" and "The Tell-Tale Heart." The central research goal is to investigate how these "perverse" impulses manifest within the protagonists and how they contribute to domestic violence and irrational criminal behavior.
- Analysis of the "spirit of perverseness" as an innate human psychological force.
- Comparative study of narrative techniques, point-of-view, and symbolism in Poe's work.
- Exploration of irrational fear and its role in triggering violent behavior.
- Investigation of the ambiguity between truth, superstition, and madness.
- Psychological characterization of narrators as victims of their own subconscious destructive nature.
Excerpt from the Book
I. ABOUT PERVERSENESS
"What could be more perverse than a personal quest for dissolution?", one may ask after reading Poe´s short stories.
The countervailing coercion of man - the perverse, that primal instinct, that seed of destruction, lurks -as Poe believed - inside everyone. Interestingly, Poe's belief in the perverse caused him to go beyond traditional morality. He tries to search out this radical impulse, which he believed rules the dark side of human behaviour.
When Poe speaks of perverseness, he does not intend narrower denotations of the various forms of the word. He does not mean "perverted," as in sexual miscreance. Though such deviancy may be perverse, it is not equal to the examples of perversity which Poe explains in his tales.
Self-destruction of the protagonist is the prevailing topic in his stories. His unrestraint and often horrible descriptions of human misdeeds display that he isn´t interested in doing justice to morality.
Chapter Summary
I. ABOUT PERVERSENESS: Defines Poe’s philosophical and psychological concept of perversity as an innate, primitive impulse that drives humans toward self-destruction.
II. "THE TELL-TALE HEART" and "THE BLACK CAT" in comparison: Serves as an analytical section comparing narrative devices, character motivations, and thematic elements in both stories.
(1) Summary of "The Black Cat": Provides an overview of the plot, focusing on the narrator's descent into alcohol-fueled violence and his eventual self-betrayal.
(2) Summary of "The Tell-Tale Heart": Summarizes the narrative of a man who murders an old man due to an irrational fear of his "vulture eye."
(3) Point of View: Discusses how Poe’s use of first-person narration heightens the sense of horror and moral shock for the reader.
(4) Victims and the causes of fear: Analyzes the irrational motivations behind the crimes and the symbolic significance of eyes and superstition.
(5) The protagonist: Explores the psychological state of the killers, emphasizing their alienation and failure to recognize their own madness.
(6) Narrative style and images: Examines the use of foreshadowing, symbolism, and the "heartbeat" motif as psychological triggers.
(7) Denouement: Analyzes how the narrator's conscience and sense of triumph lead to the inevitable discovery of their crimes.
(8) Truth or just fantasy?: Explores the ambiguity of events within the stories, questioning whether they represent supernatural occurrences or manifestations of a diseased mind.
CONCLUSION: Synthesizes the findings, reinforcing the view of Poe’s stories as cautionary psychological tales about the dark side of the human psyche.
Keywords
Edgar Allan Poe, Perverseness, The Black Cat, The Tell-Tale Heart, Psychology, Human Nature, Impulse, Self-destruction, Narrative Style, Symbolism, Madness, Domestic Violence, Irrationality, Subconscious, Projection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on Edgar Allan Poe's concept of "perverseness" as an innate psychological impulse that leads individuals to commit self-destructive and violent acts.
Which stories serve as the primary subjects of analysis?
The analysis centers on "The Black Cat" and "The Tell-Tale Heart," comparing their themes and character psychologies.
What is the central research question addressed by the author?
The author explores why protagonists in Poe's stories give in to dark, irrational impulses, and how these actions reflect a deeper, universal human propensity for "perverseness."
Which methodology is employed in this research?
The paper utilizes a literary and psychological analysis, drawing on textual evidence from the stories and critical secondary literature to interpret Poe’s themes.
What topics are covered in the main body of the work?
The main body covers plot summaries, the role of point-of-view, causes of irrational fear, characterization of the protagonists, symbolic imagery, and the distinction between objective reality and psychological projection.
How would you describe the key themes of this study?
The study is characterized by themes of psychological disintegration, the inevitability of conscience, the nature of evil, and the ambiguity of truth within the human mind.
How does the author interpret the "vulture eye" in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
The author interprets the "vulture eye" as a symbol of irrational fear that functions as a projection of the narrator’s own diseased mind onto the outside world.
What role does alcohol play in "The Black Cat" according to the analysis?
Alcohol is identified as a trigger that releases the narrator's spirit of perversity, causing his temperament to shift from tender to pathologically violent.
- Quote paper
- Anja Einhorn (Author), 2002, Perverseness in Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart and Black Cat, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/5692
