The Black Cat

The Black Cat Short story by Edgar Allan Poe

"The Black Cat" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe that was first published in 1843. The story is a study of the psychology of guilt and the descent into madness. It is narrated by an unnamed man who is awaiting his execution in a prison cell. He tells the story of how he became a murderer.

The narrator begins by describing his love for animals, particularly his black cat, Pluto. He dotes on the cat, but as he descends into alcoholism and madness, he becomes increasingly abusive towards his wife, and eventually towards the cat. One night, he comes home drunk and, in a fit of rage, he gouges out one of the cat's eyes. The cat flees in terror, but the narrator feels no remorse for his actions.

Despite this, he continues to keep the cat, and his behavior towards it becomes increasingly violent. Eventually, he murders the cat and hangs it from a tree. Shortly afterwards, his house burns down, and he discovers a second black cat that looks almost identical to Pluto. He takes the cat in, but becomes increasingly paranoid that it is the reincarnation of his former pet, and that it is haunting him. He becomes obsessed with the cat, and eventually kills his wife when she tries to stop him from hurting it. He then walls up her body in the cellar, with the cat trapped behind the bricks.

The police eventually discover the narrator's crime, and the story ends with him awaiting his execution. He reflects on the events that led to his downfall, and concludes that he is not mad, but rather that his actions were the result of an "uncontrollable feeling" that overtook him. He remains unrepentant to the end, and insists that he is not responsible for his crimes.

"The Black Cat" is a classic example of Poe's use of the unreliable narrator, and it explores themes of guilt, madness, and the power of the subconscious mind. It is considered one of Poe's most disturbing and unsettling works, and remains a popular choice for study in literature classes to this day.