A story that makes you stop and think and does not let you just flip from page to page is sometimes sought out by someone who appreciates good literary fiction. "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allen Poe may only be six pages long but his use of language, and in depth character and scene descriptions will make anyone think twice about what he or she has just read. These characteristics that make you stop re-read or re-think about what has just happened is what makes "The Cask of Amontillado" a very strong literary piece.
One of the key literary characteristics is Poe's use of language. Throughout the story language that is used, whether it is from character to character or from the narrator to the reader is of a very sophisticated nature. The language used in the story including such phrases as "drawing a roquelaire closely about my person" and "with casks and puncheons intermingling, into the most inner most recess of the catacombs" really is more sophisticated than the language a reader of a commercial piece would expect to find. As if the sophisticated phrases weren't enough Poe went and used some Latin terms in the story. These extensive uses of language in the story would really deter a commercial reader away from the story.
The in-depth character descriptions really pull the reader deeper into the characters and what they represent in the story. The description of what they wear from black silk masks and roquelaires to tight-fitting parti-striped dresses and conical caps and bells. Besides what they wear the descriptions of Fortunato and Montresor continued when Poe described how they interact with each other and others in society. Fortunato, who was intoxicated when introduced, seems to think that he has an edge on everyone and appears a bit arrogant. However when intoxicated this side of him is vulnerable to Montresors pompous and skillfully wicked character. The descriptions of what chracters wear and how they act makes the story more realistic and easier to picture the characters as realistic people.