Lesson3-4-TheBlackCat(notestoclassdiscussionpart2)(最新整理)

1、2015-16 sem 1 / geas2103 literary appreciation (section 57 & 58)bobo leelesson 3-4: the black cat by edgar allan poe (notes to class discussion)4name: the unreliable narratorsection: - this entire story is filtered through the point of view of the diseased, guilty imagination of the narrator- in the

2、 opening, he says he is not mad, not dreaming, and yet doesnt expect people to believe him. the only reason to explain this claim is that he is lying.- insists on his sanity, keen on assuring the readers that he is not mad. but the more he tries to explain the events irrational, the more we discover

3、 about his insanity.- “a series of mere household events” challenges readers perception of his behavior the description is obviously inadequate to describe such horrifying crime- “the ordinary succession of very natural causes and effects” in reality no succession (logical sequence) can be found.- a

4、dmits that he indulges in drinking, but offers no explanation of what lay behind this desire to escape through alcohol, or why his drinking habit would cause him to behave in such a violent way unable to deal with his inner dark side resorts to drinking to paralyze his mind alcohol is seen as a symp

5、tom of self-destruction- he says the events have “natural causes and effects”, but apparently he attempts to perceive these events with supernatural elements.use of supernatural elements to perceive the reality (only in the mind of the narrator) undercut his credibility:- recalls his wife saying bla

6、ck cats are witches in disguise- imprint of dead cat narrator tries to provide a rational explanation in order to dispel his terror- the patch of white fur on the second cats chest which gradually changes until it resembles gallows a reminder to his subconscious guilt over killing the cat / reveals

7、his death instinct (freuds theory: the impulse within all for self-destruction) the narrator has a premonition of where he is going to end up (hanging from a rope) we all have the experience of looking at a certain object a cloud in the sky, perhaps, a shadow on a wall, or a distinctive pattern in a

8、 piece of wood that at first has nothing remarkable about it but then suddenly appears to resemble a face or some other familiar object or creature. must have something to do with our subconscious mindthe narrators disturbed, abnormal mind / one-sided psychic development- emotionally undeveloped and

9、 unbalanced never developed the ability to have good relationship with others / past disappointments in his attempts to create bonds with others- repression of childhood abuse for feminine qualities (his “tenderness for heart”) / teased by friends at childhood /- “paltry friendship and gossamer fide

10、lity of mere man” suggest that he has experienced betrayal by friends and unhappy friendships in the past- downside of immature marriage, problems with relationships, his marriage in particular he hates is wife, but the social pressure imposed upon him by the institution of marriage forces him to su

11、bmerge his feelings, and eventually projects the hatred towards his wife on the black cat- anxiety threatens his self-esteem and security, leading to a combination of repression and displacement- even his kindness and tender-heartedness as a youth is out of balance, a sentimentality that seems unnat

12、ural because it was carried to excess friends laugh at him- no healthy way to deal with his darker side (darker side is repressed)- harms animals because animals are morally superior to mere humans he resents animals for being morally superior to himself- shares the same personality (love animals) w

13、ith his wife no room for anything else in his mind and emotions. when other elements of his psyche strive for expression, they are denied, until a breaking point that pushes him to destructive behavior.- hardly any remorse- even the initial remorse over the loss of plutos eyes is a feeble and equivo

14、cal feeling, and the soul remained untouched- blames everything on perverseness and the cat as if he cant exercise his free will, that murmuring his wife is a natural consequence so that he can minimized his responsibility“spirit of perverseness” a fundamental part of human character according to th

15、e narrator - “one of the primitive impulses of the human heart”- prompts him to do the opposite of what he knows to be right- evade taking personal responsibility for his own actions, although he is aware that what he has done is a sin and would be offensive to god.- just an excuse to justify a cata

16、strophic moral failing, as if he could not help it because it is a law dictating human nature / the narrator invents what he claims to be an aspect of human condition so that he can evade from responsibility and guilt- evert augustus duykinck says in a critique that such perverseness should be “righ

17、tly classed, not among the original impulses of humanity, but among the phenomena of insanity.”- perverseness ensures that a person does something for the very reason that he should not do it; he does wrong simply for the sake of it, because it has an irresistible attraction for him.- we all have th

18、e pleasure of defying moral authority at some point of our life. we break school rules just because we find pleasure in breaking rules. we peer into the abyss we grow dizzy ad sick. our first impulse is to shrink from the danger, but unaccountably we remain.why “a large splotch of white” on the seco

19、nd cats chest? - the second cat is adopted out of guilt and remorse. the narrator wants to make compensation after the death of pluto. the “large splotch of white” may symbolize his remaining conscience. but as the narrator cant process his repressed dark feelings (of his hatred for his wife and sub

20、conscious guilt) in a normal manner, this pattern of white fur slowly amplifies his guilt and serves as a premonition of his downfall by changing to gallows in his mind.why does the narrator brag about the solid construction of the wall and raps on the wall with his cane? - statement to the police a

21、nd rapping of spot of the wall where the corpse is buried is completely unnecessary- unconscious desire to be caught (inner guilt and remorse)- enjoy his moment of triumph over the forces of law and order, an act of pride andarrogance stemming from his inner security and anxiety.narrators wife- unna

22、med / physical appearance not described / character is little developed- kind disposition, enjoys animals, puts up with the narrator without complaints, endlessly patient every sign of being a good wife- wifes goodness leads to her death, since her lack of reaction towards his physical assault arous

23、es the narrators furysymbolic meaning of pluto and the second cat 1) the darker forces within the narrators personality that he at first attempts to repress but which eventually establish control over him / decay in the narrators soul- pluto in greek mythology, it is the god of death and the underwo

24、rld- the presence of the cat is a reminder of his lack of psychic wholeness- since he has failed to integrate this “dark” side of his personality in a manner that would enable him to live a stable, productive life (his id and superego fail to work together to achieve a balanced ego), the symbol of t

25、his deficiency, the black cat, follows him around everywhere.- the narrator appears to have no understanding of his psychic processes, all he can do is lash out in ignorance and destroy the cat.- since he has not cured his original condition, another cat soon appears on the scene and functions as an

26、 even more direct symbol of the narrators guilt and of the fate that awaits him.- when the second cat disappears after he kills wife, he sleeps well and is completely relieved reinforces the idea that the black cat represents his inner dark side cat (dark side), sleeps well- at the end, the second b

27、lack cat is found perching on the corpses head, one more indication that the cat is a reminder of a dark, disturbed mind (inside the head).2) the narrators hidden hatred for his wife- the cat is a displacement of his wife. killing the cat reflects a desire to kill his wife- why hate his wife? he res

28、ents the humble devotion of his wife, sweet-natured, patient, uncomplaining despite endless violence and abuse. / the narrator despises his wife for her weakness in being the “uncomplaining wife, the most patient of sufferers”. he physically assaults and abuses his wife, but she never fights back /

29、her lack of reaction is a constant irritant the husband.- whenever the narrator mentions his wife, the cat is close by. the intimacy between husband and wife the cat represents his wife- the mysterious apparition of the cat appears on the wall above the couples bed adds to the idea of the cat is a r

30、epresentation of his wife, who shares the same bed with him- how the second cat clings to the narrator mirrors the physical intimacy between a husband and wife fastening its long claws in my dress, chamber, in this manner, to my breast and its vast weight was incumbent on my heart” the narrators fea

31、r for the cats being so sticky to him is an indication of his resentment for his wife.- the narrator has stronger guilt after killing pluto “i blush, i burn, i shudder”, but he expresses no such feeling when he records the murder of his wife, which he relates in a flat, matter-of-fact tone. he even

32、sleeps well after the murder.- “it takes two people to make a murder” the wifes timid nature may be a false impression created by a frightened woman. her inability to stand up for herself may have drawn the narrators aggression towards her. the wife, well-aware of how her husbands distorted mind wor

33、ks, uses her only weapon against him. she points out that black cats are witches in disguise. she keeps pointing out to him the patch ofwhite fur on the cats chest, where he eventually sees the gallows. she is taking advantage of his inner guilt to produce the desired effect, to terrorize the terrorist.symbolic meaning of the wall / house - symbolizes his re