“The Black Cat” was a story written by Edgar Allen Poe in 1845. The story tells a dark tale of a man’s love for animals and after heavy drinking turns tragic. The story tells the events leading up to and immediately after the murder of his cat and his wife. I believe that the most important word in this story is the word phantasm. Phantasm can mean illusion or a representation of a real object. I feel that this word is important due to the representation of the cat, appearances in the story, and the overall emphasis of the theme. In the beginning of the story, the narrator describes himself as a docile and a humane disposition. He goes on to state that he feels normal, however, there were certain mental issues that caused an undue effect on others. As the narrator continues his story, he states that he is tormented by his cat Pluto. Pluto was known in Greek Mythology as the God of the Underworld, which would suggest that the narrator was being accompanied by the devil himself. …show more content…
This is similar as to the way the story transpired. The caretaking of the cat suggests that the narrator can sense a change in his mental state and attempts to ease the burden, but the cat still remains, no matter how hard he tries. Even after he had hung the cat outside, the cat reappeared with slight differences to suggest a progressive deterioration mentally. I would also argue that the violence applied to his wife was another sign of ill intent. With the combination of the alcohol and mental illness, the narrator was quick to lose his temperament and sense of