Examples Of Edgar Allan Poe's Guilt

A Great Writer with Great Guilt

Throughout time, guilt has often encouraged writers to express their emotions, their beliefs, and even their own life experiences through their literary works. Edgar Allan Poe often used the such theme of guilt in his stories. It was through Edgar's own life that he would experience great guilt, which inspired some of his works, and the characters in them. One example comes from Edgar's early childhood. When Edgar’s first father, Dave Poe, abandoned the family, Edgar believed it was his own fault. When Edgar was adopted, his second father, John Allan, also left their family. Edgar blamed himself once again. Thinking of the reasons his fathers left him, Poe was often overwhelmed with guilt. Later in this life, he married Virginia Clemm. Virginia ended up contracting consumption, and died a slow death. During her death, Edgar was more worried about making

When she died, Edgar felt that overwhelming sense of guilt once again. It was through these instances in which guilt would stick with Edgar while writing stories. There are three very stories in which a reader can see Edgar’s theme of guilt. Such stories include “The Oval Portrait,” “The Black Cat,” and “The Tell Tale Heart.”

In the April of 1842, Edgar Allan Poe published a short story titled “The Oval Portrait.” At the beginning of the story, an unnamed narrator is seriously injured and stranded for unknown reasons. Looking for shelter, the narrator’s servant breaks into an abandoned chateau. Inside,he is fascinated by paintings on the bedroom wall. Then he finds a book containing the history of each painting. Noticing a portrait of a young woman, he reads about it in the book. The author was painting this portrait of his wife. Over the several weeks she sat for the portrait, she grew ill and weak. As the man finished the wife’s portrait, she died