In Edgar Allen Poe's The Black Cat, there is symbolism weaved throughout the story. At the beginning of the story there is a brief history told about the narrator's life and his strong affection for animals. The story then moves to present day and the narrator goes on to tell the audience about his cat Zeus and his growing animosity toward the cat. As the story moves on the narrator then kills his cat, and out of guilt acquires another cat. His hostility grows again towards the second cat and he then tries to kill it. As he tries to kill the second cat his wife intervenes, and receives an ax to the skull, and dies. The narrator then buries his wife in the wall of the basement, and is found out by the police. The cat is buried in the wall with his wife, and "meows" while the police are there. Throughout the story it is unclear whether the narrator is being truthful, or this is a story that was made up to fool the police. With symbolism and characterization Poe weaves a story that leads you through the twists and turns of the narrators mind.
The first use of symbolism occurs when the narrator introduces his cat, Pluto. Ironically Pluto is the God of the Underworld in Roman mythology. Pluto is not only used to symbolize, but to foreshadow that this specific cat is going to be killed in the near future. .
TITLE OF YOUR ESSAY.
Essays are written to explain a process, examine something, or argue for or against a point. The opening paragraph of your essay should contain a thesis statement, as well as capture your reader's attention and interest. Remember the adage, "You"ll never get another chance to make a good first impression.".
State the main idea or topic of the paragraph in a single sentence if you can. Include at least two ideas that support your topic sentence. Provide specific and interesting details about the topic. If you need more than one paragraph to develop your topic, be sure to begin each new paragraph with a transition phrase or sentence.