The Cask Of Amontillado
Many authors have made great contributions to the world of literature. Mark Twain introduced Americans to life on the Mississippi; Thomas Hardy wrote on his pessimistic views of the Victorian Age; and Edgar Allen Poe, known as the father of the detective story, mastered techniques in horror stories that have captivated readers since the 19th century. To understand the unique literary contribution of Edgar Allen Poe, one needs to examine one of his stories. An excellent example is "," in which the reader is drawn into the story by the first person narrative; the setting of the "supreme madness of the carnival season" (Poe, 1146) and the Montresor vaults; the portrayal of the human mind ...
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for the reader. The descent down into the vaults is reminiscent of Dante's "Inferno," going down into the depths of hell. Through Poe's descriptions, the reader can feel the dripping dampness, smell the "foulness" of the air" (Poe, 114), see the eerie glow of the flambeaux, touch the crusty nitre which "hangs like moss upon the vaults (Poe, 1148), and hear the "loud and shrill screams, bursting suddenly from the throat of the chained form" (Poe, 1150). Through the setting, Poe is very successful in thrusting the reader into the realm of a nightmare. Thus, the reader enters into the mood of the story, which affects him like a thriller movie by Alfred Hitchcock.
Aside from the clearly intended setting of this horror story, however, one cannot help but be interested in the story's underlying psychological meaning. The reader can start with the assumption that, through symbolism and technique, "" means more than it really says. In this respect, the task is one of expansion into the ...
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what is true and what is exaggerated. Poe leaves this to the imagination of the reader.
In addition, Poe writes this story from the perspective of Montresor who vows revenge against Fortunato in an effort to uphold his time-honored motto: "Nemo me inpune lacessit" (Poe 1142) or "No on assails me with impunity." It is ironic that Fortunato says, "Good," when in actuality he is acknowledging his end. Poe does not intend for the reader to sympathize with Montresor because he has been wronged by Fortunato, but rather to judge him. Telling the story from Montresor's point of view intensifies the effect of moral shock and horror. The reader is invited into the inner workings of a ...
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The Cask Of Amontillado. (2008, December 3). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Cask-Of-Amontillado/94038
"The Cask Of Amontillado." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 3 Dec. 2008. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Cask-Of-Amontillado/94038>
"The Cask Of Amontillado." Essayworld.com. December 3, 2008. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Cask-Of-Amontillado/94038.
"The Cask Of Amontillado." Essayworld.com. December 3, 2008. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Cask-Of-Amontillado/94038.
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