Narrator in "The Cask of Amontillado"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Edgar Allen Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" is the story of a murder, told from the first-person point of view of the killer, Montresor. The paper contends that it is this fact that makes the story uniquely captivating, as Montresor seems to manipulate the reader into believing his victim deserved his fate, much as he manipulated Fortunato into his deadly trap. The paper discusses how Montresor describes Fortunato as such a distasteful character that the reader may not immediately question his motivations for murder and how it is only perhaps in hindsight that one may begin wondering just how accurate Montresor's view of Fortunato really was - as well as questioning Montresor's sanity.

From the Paper:

"The story begins with Montresor referring to an unnamed insult that caused him to seek revenge on Fortunato (123). He explains that he could only take Fortunato's behavior for so much time before reacting to it, yet does not go into detail as to what, exactly, Fortunato did to him. Montresor's desire for revenge is incredibly strong, yet he does not act impulsively; rather, he forms an elaborate plan to punish those who have wronged him. Anger and revenge are feelings that most people can relate to, but it is obviously not as common for someone to crave revenge so strongly that they are willing to kill for it. Montresor, therefore, has done something that few are willing to do, yet he tells the story from the perspective of someone who still feels no remorse or guilt for his actions, which seems rather sociopathic. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Poe, Edgar Allen. "The Cask of Amontillado." The Norton Introduction to Literature: Shorter 9th Edition. Ed. Alison Booth, J. Paul Hunter, Kelly J. Mays. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2006. 123-128.

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