Otázka: Edgar Allan Poe – Black Cat
Jazyk: Angličtina
Přidal(a): Martina
Edgar Allan Poe
- Edgar Poe is celebrated as the father of detective stories and a significant horror writer and poet. His life was filled with tragedy and drama, which greatly influenced his work. He was born in Boston to actor parents but was orphaned at a young age. He was taken in by John Allan, a wealthy merchant in Richmond, Virginia.
- Poe received a classical education in Scotland and England before returning to Richmond. He attended the University of Virginia but had to leave due to financial difficulties and conflicts with his foster father over his gambling debts.
- He began writing poems and stories, and soon became an editor in New York. Poe was one of the first American writers who made a living solely from writing, which led to financial struggles. His main adversary was alcohol.
- In 1836, Poe married his 13-year-old cousin, Virginia Clemm. She became a major source of inspiration for him. After her death from tuberculosis in 1847, Poe’s struggle with alcohol worsened.
- His horror stories often blur the line between reality and fantasy, containing supernatural elements. Two of his most famous works are “The Black Cat” and “The Raven”. Poe’s work had a significant impact on Romanticism, Gothic fiction, and American literature. He is credited with inventing the detective fiction genre and contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction.
- Poe’s writing career took him to several cities, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City.
- His poem “The Raven”, published in 1845, brought him instant success. However, he continued to struggle financially.
- Poe died under mysterious circumstances in Baltimore in 1849.
The Black Cat
- This is a short horror story about a man and his cat. The man loved animals when he was young.
- His family had parrots, goldfish, dogs, and a cat. He took care of the animals and played with them. He got married young and his wife also loved their animals.
- They had a black cat named Pluto. The man was the only one who fed the cat and it followed him everywhere. They were best friends. But then he started drinking and became mean. He got mad easily and started using bad words. He even hit his wife sometimes.
- One night, Pluto didn’t follow him, which made him mad. So, he caught the cat and cut out one of its eyes. He felt like he had to do it because something evil told him to. Then he hung the cat from a tree until it died. One night, their house caught on fire.
- In the morning, they saw a white shadow on the wall of the burned house that looked like a cat.
- One evening, he saw a black cat that looked like Pluto, but with a white spot. The cat was hungry and the man was mad, so he tried to kill the cat with an axe, but accidentally killed his wife. He hid her body in the cellar.
- The police came to investigate, but they didn’t find anything. When they were about to leave the cellar, they heard a meow from behind the new wall. They found the dead woman and the man was accused of killing his wife.
- “The Black Cat” is one of Poe’s most famous short stories. It tells the tale of a man’s descent into madness, fueled by alcohol and guilt. The story is narrated by the protagonist on the eve of his execution for the murder of his wife. The black cat in the story, named Pluto, plays a significant role in the man’s downfall. The story is a powerful exploration of guilt, revenge, and the destructive power of obsession. It showcases Poe’s talent for suspense and his mastery of the Gothic horror genre.
