Edgar Allan Poe's Short Stories

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Edgar Allan Poe's short stories "The Black Cat" and "The Fall of the House of Usher", which explored the inner workings of the mind, were unlike the general style of writing of the time. The author points out that Poe led a troubled life, which may explain why his writing is so complex and filled with tormented characters. The paper relates that many connections have been made between Poe and these two short stories because he chose to write them in first person thus giving the reader the impression that they are autobiographical; his use of first person narration also aids the underlying psychological subtext because the reader is being told a story and can evaluate the narrator along with the story he is telling.

From the Paper:

"Poe's characters in "The Black Cat" and "The Fall of the House of Usher" are afflicted with mental instability which, similar to Poe, has been attributed to loss. Poe's father abandoned the family in 1810, and shortly after passed away. Poe's mother passed away in 1811, from tuberculosis which was very early in the author's life. Tomc believed the loss of his mother and wife, later in his career, created a lasting impression on his writing. The mental instability Poe acquired from the loss of his parents is reflected in both the narrator in "The Black Cat" and Roderick Usher from "The Fall of the House of Usher" although both characters react to the instability differently. In terms of mental instability the narrator in "The Black Cat" describes his self as being "more moody, more irritable, more regardless of the feelings of others.""

More papers on Edgar Allan Poe's Short Stories:

• Book Review # 105528 : "Edgar Allan Poe: Short Stories"
• Comparison Essay # 120918 : "Two Stories of Edgar Allan Poe"
• Essay # 29758 : "Short Stories of Edgar Allan Poe"
• Term Paper # 144271 : "Edgar Allan Poe's Literary Works"

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