One of Edgar Allan Poe’s most iconic stories, “The Black Cat,” is a fascinating narrative that intrigues the reader. The purpose of the short story has long been a subject of debate. “The Black Cat,” while having some characteristics of the horror genre, presents a psychoanalytical approach to the mind of a psychopath, a scrutiny of insanity plea charges common at the time.
To analyze “The Black Cat” as a horror story, it is important to know what the elements of one are. In horror, there is an element of suspense and mystery present, for there is some factor hidden from the reader. In turn, lack of knowledge naturally induces fear in human beings. Usually, there is a surprise factor. The narrator, while describing gory details and experiencing certain moments of suspense and superstition, is very straightforward. Poe’s short story here possesses more elements of the gothic genre which focus on death, curses, insanity and supernatural events. “This dread was not exactly a dread of physical evil… the terror and horror with which the animal inspired me” (Poe 42). These are all fitting to “The Black Cat” where the narrator seems to attempt to explain his madness as being a curse, and the cat a supernatural phenomenon.
Meanwhile, “The Black Cat” received critical reception as a psychoanalytical thriller. Scholars to this day attempt to decipher the story’s meaning and praise Poe’s writing style. Writing right before his death, the narrator promises to be candid, luring the reader in, establishing trust. However, as he continues, the reader begins to understand that something is off. At some point, the tale is no longer about a man begotten by life’s circumstances or even alcohol, but rather a sickness of the mind. The tale appalls the reader, enticing feeling of betrayal, bringing up the purpose of the character’s narrative. It is not a confession, and the narrator specifically states there is no one left to care if he is guilty or not, nor will the penmanship save him from death. The whole aspect of the story can be compared to that of a psychopath luring a victim. As a literary device, unreliable narrators push the reader away from focusing on the story as much to begin analyzing the protagonist (Hester and Segir 176).
“The Black Cat ” can directly be considered a study in human psychology. During Poe’s time, there was an ongoing discussion and research on the condition of the human mind known as psychopathy. A common trend of pleading insane to crimes upturned the legal system, for there was no established definition of psychopathy, nor would there be for over another hundred years. There are suggestions that Poe, by writing “The Black Cat,” was trying to create social commentary. Essentially, Poe masterfully created the modern textbook definition of a psychopath in the narrator. Through the whole story, the narrator is apathetic, a common trait for psychopaths, who also can inflict abuse and murder without any concern. Poe writes, “I soundly and tranquilly slept; aye, slept even with the burden of murder upon my soul” (45). The narrator lacks any remorse or guilt, from abusing his wife and animals to murder. Psychopaths are quick to rationalize their actions to the point of absurdity. No matter how much he supposedly tries to hold himself together, the protagonist eventually breaks down to inflict violence. The only thing truly bothering the narrator is the cat, whose reincarnation is a questionable reality, a rationale to inflict violence. Poe creates a psychological profile of a killer who has no desire for redemption (Hester and Segir 186-89).
Although Poe’s “The Black Cat” can be rather dark and incite fear, it is not, in principle, a horror story. It is a social commentary with a psychoanalytical approach. Poe attempted to show the readers into the mind of a psychopath and could do it in a few short pages in such simple narration. The psychological profile of the narrator is studied to this day while the story has become a literary classic.
Works Cited
Hester, Vickie and Emily Segir. “Edgar Allan Poe: “The Black Cat,” and Current Forensic Psychology.” The Edgar Allan Poe Review, vol. 15 no. 2, 2014, pp. 175-193. doi: 10.5325/edgallpoerev.15.2.0175
Poe, Edgar. “The Black Cat.” Tales. Wiley & Putnam, 1845