爱伦坡《黑猫》英语作文
黑猫英文版
The Analysis of The Black CatThe novel begins with the hero tell readers his sins in order to free his soul from crimes. Although some people think his experience is just some ordinary things, for him, which led to his soul in bondage.The novel tells the story in the first person point of view. The first person can make the reader have sense of substitution and readers are more likely to experience feelings and emotions that the author wants to express. The text does not contain any ghosts. But in describing the inner demons, it makes people shiver all over though not cold. "The black cat" in Allan Poe' s novels has unique Gothic romance. Allan Poe uses exquisite writing to describe conflict within characters and gives people a strong sense of tension.The hero was a gentle and kind people and likes small animal. This kind of character makes him welcomed by small animals, therefore also met his wife. He has been living a very happy life, until his drinking makes temper change. The hero become irritable, and began to torture small animal, the animal were far away from him. Until one day, he could not suppress his depression and anger, put out the cat Pluto's eyes. Although he later feels guilt, but because the cat is away from him, making his inner demons more expansive, more act recklessly and care for nobody. The hero is attracted by evil temptations, based on high obviously love black cat killed the cat. He believes that even God cannot forgive his sins. After he killed the cat, in the night, his house turned into ruins because of the fire. Except for the wall next to his bed, the wall is also left traces of cats. This makes him frightened. He explained the matter in variety of scientific knowledge. From this we can be know hero inner panic. He was tortured by his conscience and his heart also gradually cold. Because of grumpy mood his character also becomes distorted.Although he deliberately forget this thing, but his soul still remember. Later, he met a black cat as big as the black cat. He brings it home to court his wife. After a long time, he was sick of it, and began to avoid him. His inner demons again arise, because the eye of the cat was dredged up. At the same time, the white spot on the cat backgrew large. This strange phenomenon involved him in fear, tormented his soul. Until one day he was controlled by evil to kill his wife, and his wife was in the cellar wall. The cat disappeared. He is filled with them away and relaxed. His wife's death did not bring much change to him. The police searched his home, but did not find anything. Then the police are into the cellar, the hero's heart is calm. Even he feels happy for his acts. Thus, the hero has been occupied by the evil heart, without fear of crime. Later, the hero beats the wall and hears strange noises. Then the police pushed down the wall and his dead wife was exposed. In the mean time, the cat was sitting on top of his wife head. The story ends with the cat's revenge. Although black revenge hero in strange ways, but it also reflects the characteristics of Allan Poe's writing.This novel is full of dark color, although the hero crime is not very complicated. In my opinion, second black cat is the incarnation of the previous black cat. The hero is evil while the black cat is the messenger who punishes the evil. The death of the black cat and appearance of second black cat torment the soul. When he thinks he is free, he was exposed as a sin and received revenge from a cat. This shows that no matter what time, the man of sin will be punished.Poe put much symbolism means in the story like his other novel. For one thing is the black cat. As Poe penned in this story, “---to the ancient popular notion, which regarded all black cats as witches in disguise.” The protagonist’s wife at heart was not a little tinctured with superstition. Maybe black cat will bring misfortune and bad luck. Both of the two cats under Poe’s pen, the protagonist loved and then killed, were black. For another thing is the name of cats. Pluto, this is the Roman god of the underworld. So what the black cat impressed reader most is hell, demon, wretches, something can be regarded as a deity with some magic power. The strangest symbol of the black cat is the GALLOWS on its breast. The GALLOWS can date back to a cruel torture which was popular in ancient. It was used to carry out the punishment. Gothic fictions always create a horrible atmosphere by house events, ominous things and despot figures; and then to explore the deep meanings in the real life, for instance, to uncover the evil reality, to analyze humanity, etc. Allen Poe’ s story The Black Cat mainly told the horrible events happened between a despot and a black cat.Allen Poe was successful to figure out that the rational origin was from the soul. The most typical Gothic features in The Black Cat were to create a horrible atmosphere by a series of ominous events, otherwise, the Gothic style factors revenge and curse also used in the story very successfully. The thesis mainly analyzes the Gothic features in this story The Black Cat: it analyzes the Gothic style through the black cat description, the mental activity of the protagonist and the arrangement of the plots.This short story easily achieved the effect that Poe was looking for through the use of description of setting, symbolism, plot development, diverse word choice, and detailed character development, In most cases, the setting is usually indelible to a story, but The Black Cat relies little on this element. The terrified description of the scene, the symbolism with the black cat and the gallows, the psychological activity for the protagonist, the comparison between the kind of animals and the guilty protagonist, all of these, are so vivid and intellectual that bring readers into a world of magic. The meaning of this magic is in varies forms and it depends on personal understanding.孙美丽12301008胡倩玉12301065。
从《黑猫》看爱伦坡的象征主义
A Reflection of Symbolism in The Black Cat by Edgar AllanPoeⅠ. IntroductionAs a specific school of literary trend, symbolism appeared in French in the 1880s at first and mainly in the creative realm of poetry and drama. From the 1890s, symbolism spread to Britain, Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain and many other countries. In the 1920s, it became one of the most influential schools of literary and artistic trend in the world. The French poet Paul Verlaine (1844-1896) and the American poet Edgar Allan Poe are the pioneers of symbolism.Symbolism is distinguished into early and late symbolism. Stephan Mallarme (1842-1898), Paul Verlaine (1844-1896)，Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891) are the representatives of early symbolism. Late symbolists include William Butler Yeats（1865－1939）, T·S Eliot（1888－1965）. In his famous long poem The Waste Land (1922), T·S Eliot constructed a sophisticated world by applying repeated images and symbols, rebelling against the English poetic tradition.Symbolism can also be divided into universal symbolism and contextual symbolism, depending on the source of the associations that provide their meaning. Universal symbols embody ideas or emotions that the writer and the reader share in common, as a result of their social and cultural heritage. For example, a stagnant pool may symbolize life beingpolluted or diminished. The color black symbolizes death, and white symbolizes purity, etc. Contextual symbols are those whose associations are neither immediate nor traditional; instead, they derive their meaning, largely if not exclusively, from the context of the work in which they are used. For instances, the rain symbolizes the God, the grail symbolizes superhuman strength, etc. The meaning is perplexing. The same thing may have different symbolic meanings according to certain context.Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), is a famous American poet, short-story writer, and literary critic. Since adolescence, he had great interests in literature and had read a large amount of literary works, showing great talent in writing. However, it is until his well-known poem The Raven was published that he began to be well received by the public. His achievements in short stories are more outstanding than in poetry, especially in the writing of Gothic stories and detective stories. Among them , the famous Gothic stories are: The Fall of the House of Usher, The Cask of Amontillado, The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841)，The Black Cat, etc. Some of the characters and the stereotyped style of his short stories were widely imitated by later detective story writers, such as the character “Sherlock Holmes” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle （1859——1930）.Poe used symbolism in most of his poems and short stories in order to make the readers see his views on beauty, love, life and death. Hisopinions are mirrored through that of his characters and his use of symbolism allows for a broader spectrum of interpretations. In The Masque of the Red Death by Poe, the God of Death’s dancing symbolizes that death is inescapable.In The Cask of Amontillado , when Montresor tempted Fortunado to go deeper to the vaults , the flame became dimmer and dimmer and more and more bones were thrown down, symbolizing that Fortunado had less and less chance to survive. Poe’s famous symbolic short story The Black Cat is a tale about a man’s degeneration only because of one or two black cat. In this story, there are many instances where symbolism takes a leading role in the plot. The black cat, the gallows patterns, and the eyes of the cats all have symbolic meanings, helping to create a horrible atmosphere and deliver pregnant meanings. Ⅱ.Literary Theory of Edgar Allan Poe2.1. Some Literary Theories of Edgar Allan PoePoe’s writing reflect ed his literary theories, which he presented in his criticism and also in essays such as The Poetic Principle and The Philosophy of Composition.Works with obvious meanings, he wrote, cease to be art. He believed that quality work should focus on a specific single effect. To that end, he believed that the writer should carefully calculate every sentiment and idea.As for poetic theories, he believed that poem must be of such lengthas to be read at one sitting, so as to ensure the totality of impression or “the unity of effect”. The chief aim of poetry is beauty, namely, to produce a feeling of beauty in the reader，to pure one’s soul. Melancholy is the most legitimate of all the poetic tones. Poetry does not have to inculcate a moral.For theories of short stories, he held that the very first sentence ought to help to bring out the “single effect” of the story. No word should be used which does not contribute to the “pre-established” design of the work. A tale should reveal some logical truth with “the fullest satisfaction” and should end with the last sentence, leaving a sense of finality with the reader.Poe’s short stories are called as “the drama of symbolism”. By using typical description of the atmosphere and the plot and by applying special symbols, Poe created a striking artistic effect of horror. As is universally acknowledged by the western critics, like realism, symbolism can be understood only after the true meanings of the symbols revealed. To i nterpret and evaluate the symbolism in Poe’s The Black Cat, we should not be restricted to the plot of the story；instead we need to take every single image into consideration. Poe used symbols to achieve the effect of horror and these symbols reflect the culture and social background of his times and his values, recording his own tragic life, all of which helped him stir the soul of his readers. According to his own literary theory, Poetried every means to use the least words to achieve the best horrible effect.2.2. Life Experience and Values Influencing Poe’s Writing Style.It should be pointed out that the root o f Poe’s preference in presenting the theme of horror, death, shocking insanity, and disillusion of beauty, is his tragic life experience. His parents died when he was very young and he was adopted by a rich merchant John Allan. But Poe never got on well with his foster father. It can be said that his short life was full of trouble, poverty, disease, and failure. As his relatives died one after another, especially his mother, stepmother and his wife, many of his works were influenced by their death and the theme of death and horror permeated in his works.In Poe’s short stories, he tried every means to challenge the world of sense, and marched for the unknown and unintelligible world, exploring the interfused field of life and death, delusion and reality, sanity and insanity. He was always troubled by the insane power under human being’s conscience and devoted himself to investigating these abnormal psychology as perverseness, schizophrenia，insanity. So some critics believe that Poe take the initiative of modern psychological writing and belongs to the pioneers of psychological study which is represented by Sigmund Freud. The characters in Poe’s works often had strange disposition, wandering between sense and insanity. For example, in TheBlack Cat, the protagonist, just driven by a kind of hatred which came from nowhere, tortured his ever-loved black cat, finally even killed his own wife.Ⅲ. The Black CatThe Black Cat is one of Edgar Allan Poe’s horrible Gothic stories, which are full of the atmosphere of horror, mystery and death. The literary trend and Poe’s life experiences were reflected in this story, and it is also a depiction of Poe’s own psychology problems.3.1. The BackgroundThe Black Cat was published in 1843. At that time, in America, the slavery system in the South was going to breakdown. The whole society was in a state of depression. Poe’s writing style was influenced by the depression school of literature that he proposed tragic and sad tone in writing.Besides, psychological shortcomings, extreme horror, death were the favorite topics of many articles in magazines in that times. The only difference was that Poe did it better than other writers. Poe once praised himself that his short stories were not to create horror of German style but horror of soul.The third background of Poe’s The Black Cat is the influence of Gothic stories which prevailed in the 18th and 19th centuries in England.The setting of Gothic stories is often Gothic castles in deserted land in ancient times, very dark and horrible. The protagonist may take revenge or murder someone. Poe’s short stories inherited some characteristics of former Gothic style, but he didn’t simply rely on settings and plot to achieve the horrible effect. Instead , he applied the depiction of hero’s psychology in his story，shortened the long and complicated Gothic stories to shorter ones，and also used symbols to achieve the settled effect.In 1843, Poe was in great depression. The reason was that his beloved wife was in great illness then and his life was in total poverty. It was such a terrible blow to him that he turned all his sorrow to alcohol and writing. In The Black Cat, the protagonist was also addicted to alcohol, which was a reflection of Poe’s own condition at that time.3.2 The Story and the Theme.The story was narrated in the first person point of view by a murderer himself before he was to be sentenced to death.At beginning, the protagonist was a good-tempered man, who had a keen interest in raising pets. His wife was also fond of animals. For a few years, he and his wife had been enjoying their lives with their domestic animals, especially with a black cat. The black cat was so intimate with him. But a few years later, the narrator became addicted to alcohol and his temper turned worse and worse. One night, being intoxicated, hecruelly gorged out one of the black cat’s eyes simply because he thought the cat avoided him. A few days later, he strangled it to death. Just on the same night, a big fire broke out in his house. Later, a sense of guilty made him adopt another black cat. The second black cat was much the same with the former one except that there was a white image of gallows on the front part of its bosom.One day, the black cat had nearly tripped him over in the basement. Out of an uncontrollable anger, he seized an axe to kill the black cat. When his wife tried to stop him, he killed his wife. After he spent effort to build his wife’s body in the wall of the basement, he was so confident of his wise conduct that he invited the police to visit the basement. What surprised the readers was that the black cat’s one sharp lon g cry disclosed the narrator’s crime. It turned out that the black cat had also been built into the wall of the basement while he bu ilt his wife’s corpse.In The Black Cat,although the story was about a black cat, the author’s focus was on human beings. Although it was a story between animals and human beings, the author wanted to reveal the relationship between human beings and an undiscovered world. The black cat actually reflect Poe’s own viewpoint on the issue of human nature, and also implicitly showed some problems that kept troubling him, such as : comparing with the sense and intelligence of human beings, whether animals are inferior and whether there is a kind of unknown and almightypower that can control the fate of human beings. It can be said that The Black Cat is a representation of Poe’s own psychology rather than simply an embodiment of literary theories and interesting plots.Ⅳ. An Interpretation of the Symbols in The Black CatThe Black Cat is a typical example of Poe’s horrible stories. In this story, symbolism permeates everywhere and contains in-depth meanings.4.1 “the b lack cat” in Traditional CultureAs an animal, the cat walks without noise, and its eyes seems wise and brilliant. It is very adroit and often goes out at night. In both Eastern and Western culture, there are many legends about it.In the East, it is said that a cat has nine lives. There was a legend: an old woman in Japan, who raised a cat for years, was eaten by the cat after the cat turned into an apparition. Disguised in the image of the old woman, the cat continued to kill other people. In ancient Egypt, the black cat was considered as the ruler of death, which could manipulate and drive away other evil spirits. The black cat were made into mummies to guard the tombs of dead peopleIn the West, the cultural background of the cat can be dated back to the Renaissance period in the Middle Age, when the black cat was considered as the pet of witches. People believed that it was her “familiar”, her pet and companion served for her. The witches who rode awindstorm were said in the image of the black cat, symbolizing death and misfortune. If someone met a black cat on a Friday night, he would certainly meet troubles. It was said that the best image of the demon Satan was the black cat. During the western festival Halloween, the black cat is the symbol of the evil, and is served as sacrifice for ghosts. In ancient Greek and Roman culture, the black cat is always associated with witches and the devil, as is mentioned by the protagonist’s wife “all black cats are witches in disguise”.Of course, these are all superstitions, and the black cat has no intrinsic connections with bad luck. However, these cultural symbols had deeply rooted in people’s mind and seemed to have been written in our genes.4.2. “The Black C at” in The Black CatPoe named the black cat “Pluto”— the ruler of the underworld; it is obvious that the black cat is the symbol of death and hell. The hero’s degeneration and death is caused by the black cat, so it is also a symbol ofa kind of evil lure and inescapable force.4.2.1 Death and HellIn the story, the author pictured two mysterious and horrible black cats: one was hanging there dead with a rope strangling around its neck; the other was standing on the head of the corpse with the only one eyestaring at the protagonist angrily. These two sharply striking images of the black cat stamped a deep impression o n the readers’ mind, urging the readers to dig out the underground meanings of these images.The most obvious of symbolic references in this story is the cat’s name, Pluto. “Pluto -- this was the cat's name -- was my favorite pet and playmate.” This is the Roman god of the underworld. The god was also known as Hades, the name of the underworld itself. Pluto contributes to a strong sense of hell and may even symbolize the devil himself. It was the symbol of death and hell.As was illustrated in the story:“This cat was a remarkably large and beautiful anim al, entirely black, and sagacious to an astonishing degree. In speaking of his intelligence, my wife, who at heart was not a little tinctured with superstition, made frequent allusion to the ancient popular notion, which regarded all black cats as witches in disguise.”The author seemed to use these descriptions to give indications for later misfortunes and death. When he deliberately cut one of its eyes of the black cat and hung it to the limb of a tree, a big fire nearly killed him, and a portraiture of a black cat strangely appeared on the wall. “I approached and saw, as if graven in bas relief upon the white surface, the figure of a gigantic cat”.The protagonist seemed to be doomed by the black cat to death. Later, because of the second black cat, the protagonist killed his wife and had to be sentenced to death. When the black cat howled in the wall at last, the cry was so hellish.“Such as might have arisen only out of hell,conjointly from the throats of the dammed in their agony and of the demons that exult in the damnation.”Therefore, the black cat named Pluto can symbolize death and hell in the story.4.2.2 Intelligence and SensitivityThe black cat is also an image symbolizing intelligence and sensitivity. Poe had ever pointed in his Instinct and Sense —the Black Cat. He cited many examples of how he witnessed a black cat opened a very complicated door. Based on his careful observation, Poe concluded that the animal is very wise and full of instinct, and it has super-natural power that is superior to human beings’ sense.In The Black Cat, Poe created a black cat which can read people’s mind and can react to people’s treatment. “In speaking of his intelligence, my wife, who at heart was not a little tinctured with superstition, made frequent allusion to the ancient popular notion, which regarded all black cats as witches in disguise”. The superstition about the black cat indicated the cat’s superpower. At first, the protagonist was in good terms with the black cat. He lived a happy life and did not have any troubles. When he maltreated the animals, misfortune came over to him. A big fire robbed him of his house and property. His health became worse and worse. When he killed the first black cat, a picture of a black cat appeared on the wall of the fireplace which made him very upset and guilty. The cat seemed to know the protagonist’s cruel deed and disguised in an apparition to punish him.What astonished the readers was that the second black cat was nearly identical with the first one.“It was a black cat -- a very large one -- fully as large as Pluto, and closely resembling him in every respect but one. Pluto had not a white hair upon any portion of his body; but this cat had a large, although indefinite splotch of white, covering nearly the whole region of the breast.”The second black cat functioned as a more intelligent creature than the first one. The protagonist was proud of his wisdom to wall his wife’s body in the basement. However, he would never expected that the black cat was also walled into the basement and finally a long cry disclosed his crime, “No sooner had the reverberation of my blows sunk into silence, than I was answered by a voice from within the tomb! --- by a cry, at first muffled and broken, like the sobbing of a child ……-- a howl -- a wailing shriek”. The second black cat was so almighty that it can determine and manipulate the cause and effect of things.4.2.3 Temptations and Inescapable ForceThe black cat symbolized the lure to tempt human beings to degeneration and crime. When he first gorged out one of the black cat’s eyes, the cause was that “the black cat avoided my presence”. The second cruel deed was resulted from “the feeling of grieve gave place to irritation”, as was explained in the short story:“Of this spirit philosophy takes no account. Yet I am not more sure that my soul lives, than I am that perverseness is one of the primitive impulses of the humanheart—one of the indivisible primary faculties, or sentiments, which give direction to the character of Man.”In The Ego and the Id (1923), Sigmund Freud fully elaborated structural model of the mind. He proposed that the psyche could be divided into three parts: ego, id, and super-ego. A person’s ego and super-ego always exist together. If one’s ego and super-ego can keep in balance, then his mind is healthy. If not, he is insane. He believed that id can’t make distinction between good and evi l and can’t make moral judgment. When a person’s desire for pleasure goes against with social interests, he presents his evil aspect of his humanity.In The Black Cat, the protagonist was kept in an unbalanced mind. Guilt, hatred, regret, sad, dislike, all these negative feelings showed that his ego can’t be moralized by super-ego. So, with an unbalanced mind, the black cat can easily stimulate him to commit crime. He was unconscious of what he was doing and what consequence it would bring about. So, In the Black Cat, the protagonist did not have a normal criminal motivation, such as the desire for money, revenge, envy, etc. He committed crime only because of the black cat. This evil desire can not be explained by reason, and it is the result of ego winning super-ego.In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a king punished by being compelled to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back, and to repeat this single action, because he betrayed Pluto, the ruler of theunder-world.In The Black Cat, the plot strangely resembles the Sisyphus’s story very much. When the hero made mistakes and his evil side was seen, he was punished by the black cat. It was very coincident that when he ill-treated his ever-favorite pets, natural disasters destroyed him by turns. Although he was not punished physically, his conscience was fatally tortured.The image of the black cat actually can also refer to a kind of mysterious power whi ch is out of human being’s control. Human beings are incomparable to it in power. Poe worshiped this kind of power. In Poe’s times in the first half of the 19th century, American industrialization had entered the stage of prosperity, with its advanced mechanism and constantly improving science and industry. For the first time, they enjoyed the pleasure of conquering the world. They normally took it for granted that they had absolute power to control the practical word. All things are inferior to human beings.Surely, Poe was not satisfied with human being’s arrogance and over-indulgence. He held that human beings are but tiny creatures in the universe and they are no nobler than animals. Poe had realized that human beings’ egoism and arrogance made people b lind to the power of natural elements, for acknowledging it means challenging their own superiority. However, in numerous cases, they are forced to admit thattheir intelligence are so feeble compared with the external natural forces.In speaking of Poe’s tragic life, we could interpret that the image of the black cat was not an ordinary animal that came from practical life, but an artistic symbol recording Edgar Allan Poe’s actual life ----the endless misfortune that tortured him.Poe’s short life was full of misfortunes and tragedies. His father deserted his mother and him when he was still an infant. After both of his parents died, he was adopted by a well-off businessman. But unfortunately, when he was 17 in college, he made some bad friends and he owed a heavy debt and became addicted to alcohol. Due to this reason, this foster father did not support him any more. Later, he was admitted into West Point. He had good performance in school, and even published poems at school. But he could not stand the strict rule of the school and deliberately broke the rules. So he was expelled from the school. His early life showed that Poe did not want to be the victim of fate and he dared to show rebellious spirit to the fortune’s wheel. But he couldn’t control his own fate.The unfortunate life, the deeply-rooted addiction to alcohol and the sensitive temperament are like ghost haunting on him which he could not escape from. In this story, “though my wife loved the new cat dee ply because he reminded her of Pluto, I was the one he chose to follow around the house.”The cat was always following him like a ghost. “And the more I came to despise the cat,the more closely he would follow me about the house!”The black cat brought all unfortunate things to him. He killed his ever-beloved wife because of the black cat and his own crime was also betrayed by it, which finally caused him to death. So the black cat was a symbol for uncontrollable misfortunes in his life.4.3. Image of the Gallows: Doomed Punishment of Crime.In the short story, the second black cat was so identical with the first one except that there was an image of a hideous thing-the gallows-in the front part of the second black cat’s bosom. Undoubtedly, the gallows symbolize law, punishment and social discipline. It is the external power t hat can restrict Id of one’s mind.The mark of gallows on the second black cat could always be seen by the protagonist as the cat followed him.“The reader will remember that this mark, although large, had been originally very indefinite; but, by slow degrees -- degrees nearly imperceptible, and which for a long time my Reason struggled to reject as fanciful -- it had, at length, assumed a rigorous distinctness of outline……. it was now, I say, the image of a hideous -- of a ghastly thing -- of the GALLOWS!”It seemed to indicate that it tried to exert the influence of judicial power on the protagonist, reminding him that he was to be punished by law finally. He would be sentenced to death.The influence of this external power on the evil mind protagonist lies in his terror of the second black cat. As was mentioned in the short story,“and ,…I stared, hourly, from dreams of unutterable fear, to find the hot breath of the thing upon my face , and its vast weight –an incarnate Night-Mare that I had no power to shake off- incarnate Night-Mare.”“I am almost ashamed to own- yes, even in this felon’ cell, I am almost ashamed to own-that terror and horror with which the animal inspired me”The feeling of terror comes from the sensible component of ego. “Ego is always between id and the external world, to ease the conflict between id and the external world and to force ego to obey social rules”. The external power which was symbolized by the image of gallows kept exerting great stre ss on the protagonist’s mind. At first, the external power prevailed. But as time went by, the uncontrollable impulse of id defeated the external power and the protagonist killed his wife and sent himself to gallows.4.4. Eye of the Black Cat: the Mirror of the H ero’s ConscienceIn many literary works, the description of animals’ or people’s eyes is always full of implied meanings. The eyes in literary works often symbolize the display of one’s heart, soul, or an external monitor of one’s behavior.In The Black Cat, the author mentioned the eyes of the two black cat’s eyes four times, and the image was very impressive in readers’ m ind. Both of the two black cats had only one eye. One of The first cat’s eye s was gorged by the hero, which symbolized the cruel and evil side of the hero’ character, as was mentioned in the story, “I took from my waistcoat-pocket a pen-knife, opened it, grasped the poor beast by the throat, anddeliberately cut one of its eyes from the socket !”The awful image of the one-eye bl ack cat could make one’ hair stand up. “The socket of the lost eye presented, it is true, a frightful appearance”. It created the effect that the hero’s deformed character had also reached to the extremely ferocious extent.After he adopted the second black cat, the protagonist was very frightened to see the eye of the cat, because it reminded him of his previous crime.“What added, no doubt, to my hatred of the beast, was the discovery, on the morning after I brought it home, that, like Pluto, it also had been deprived of one of its eyes.” It functioned as condemn and punishment of his evil conscience.At the end of the story when his wife’s body was discovered by the police, the black cat sat on the head of the corpse with one eye beholding at him. At that moment, he was extremely frightened, “But may God shield and deliver me from the fangs of the Arch-Fiend! No sooner had the reverberation of my blows sunk into silence than I was answered by a voice from within the tomb!” It seemed that the cry came from the hell, indicating that those who committed crime just for cr ime’s sake was doomed to be punished and should pay price to the victim. The hero could see through his evil side of his conscience whenever he saw the single eye of the black cat. It showed that actually he realized his sinful deeds by the reminding of the single eye.Ⅴ. ConclusionThis paper mainly analyzed Poe’s symbolism from his masterpiece The Black Cat which is the representative of Poe’s Gothic horrible stories. By applying symbolism, Poe delivered sharply impressive images to the readers and created the effect of shocking horror, making a novelty for later horrible composition stories. The symbols in The Black Cat, such as the two black cats, the image of gallows, the single eye of the black cat, created a horrible atmosphere through the whole story, which is intended by the author. The readers can fully feel the very details of the hero’s psychological changes by interpreting the pregnant meanings of these symbols. The black cat not only symbolizes death and evil, but also records the process of the hero’s psychological degeneration and reflects Poe’s tragic life experience and cultural background of the times. The images of the gallows and the eye of the black cat help to intensify the author’s intended effects of psychological horrors.From the analysis above, it can not be denied that Edgar Allan Poe is really a master of symbolism in short story writing. Readers are greatly horrified in soul by the special images created by Poe. Learners of symbolism in short story writing can not only improve the ability in analyzing literary works but also improve their own writing skills by applying this technique.。
惊悚诡异短篇读后感300字黑猫
惊悚诡异短篇读后感300字黑猫英文回答：Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" is a haunting and atmospheric tale that explores the depths of human darkness and the consequences of unchecked impulses. Through the protagonist's descent into madness and murder, Poe masterfully weaves a complex web of guilt, regret, and retribution.The titular black cat, Pluto, becomes a symbol of the protagonist's inner demons, a catalyst for his spiral into violence and self-destruction. Poe's vivid imagery and useof allegory create a visceral and unforgettable experience for the reader, making "The Black Cat" one of his most enduring and influential works.The story's exploration of the human psyche and the duality of good and evil has resonated with countless readers and filmmakers. Its themes of obsession, alcoholism,and the battle between conscience and desire continue to captivate and unsettle audiences today.Poe's writing in "The Black Cat" is characterized byits economy of language, its precise and evocative imagery, and its ability to create a sense of unease and dread. His use of foreshadowing, irony, and the unreliable narrator enhances the story's impact, leaving readers with a lingering sense of unease and the inevitability of the protagonist's downfall.中文回答：埃德加·爱伦·坡的《黑猫》是一个令人毛骨悚然、气氛诡异的故事，探索了人类心黑暗的深处和不受控制冲动的后果。
blackcat黑猫英语系列读后感
《黑猫》英语读后感1After reading "The Black Cat", I was deeply moved and couldn't help reflecting on many aspects. The mysterious image of the black cat in the story left a profound psychological impact on me. The way it seemed to lurk in the shadows, its eyes gleaming with an unknown intensity, created an atmosphere of unease and suspense that constantly kept me on the edge of my seat.One of the most thought-provoking aspects was how the plot unveiled the complexity of human nature. The protagonist's descent into madness and evil deeds as a result of his inner demons made me question the boundaries between good and evil within each of us. It made me realize that sometimes, the smallest triggers can unleash the darkest parts of our souls.The story also made me think about the power of guilt and how it can consume a person. The protagonist's attempts to hide his actions only led to more chaos and self-destruction. This taught me the importance of facing our mistakes and taking responsibility for our actions.Overall, "The Black Cat" was not just a story but a journey into the depths of the human psyche, making me appreciate the complexity and fragility of our nature.2The story of "The Black Cat" has left a profound impression on me. It is a masterpiece in the realm of horror literature. The author skillfully builds a terrifying atmosphere through the description of the black cat. The cat's mysterious and unpredictable behavior adds to the sense of unease. As I delved into the story, my heart pounded with tension. Every detail seemed to hint at an impending horror.Compared to other horror literary works, "The Black Cat" stands out for its psychological exploration. It doesn't rely solely on external monsters or ghosts but delves deep into the inner demons of the protagonist. The gradual descent of the character into madness is depicted with chilling precision.The way the author plays with light and shadow, silence and sudden noises, creates a palpable sense of dread. It makes me question the thin line between sanity and insanity. This story is not just about fear; it's a reflection on human nature and the dark corners of our minds. It has truly broadened my perspective on the genre of horror literature.3The book "The Black Cat" has had a profound impact on my reading interests. This thrilling tale, filled with mystery and horror, has opened up a new world for me. Before reading it, I had little interest in the genre ofhorror literature. However, the vivid descriptions and the intense atmosphere created by the author in "The Black Cat" completely captivated me.I found myself constantly immersed in the story, feeling the protagonist's fear and confusion. This experience sparked my enthusiasm for horror literature, and I began to explore more works in this genre. I discovered the likes of Edgar Allan Poe's other masterpieces and Stephen King's thrilling novels.Moreover, "The Black Cat" also inspired me in terms of literary creation. The way the author builds tension and suspense, as well as the complex character development, has taught me valuable lessons. I have learned how to create a compelling narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.In conclusion, "The Black Cat" is not just a book to me; it is a gateway to a new realm of literature and a source of inspiration for my own creative endeavors.4The book "The Black Cat" has left an indelible mark on my mind. It is not just a story but a profound exploration of human nature and the darker recesses of the psyche.The narrative technique employed in this book is truly remarkable. The author's ability to build tension and suspense through the gradualunfolding of events keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. For instance, the way the protagonist's descent into madness is depicted, with subtle hints and escalating actions, has set a precedent for many subsequent literary works.From a different perspective, the theme of guilt and redemption explored in "The Black Cat" holds significant literary meaning. It forces us to confront the consequences of our actions and the potential for redemption, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable evil. This theme has resonated throughout literary history, inspiring countless authors to delve into similar subjects.In conclusion, "The Black Cat" is not only a masterpiece in its own right but also a source of inspiration for future generations of writers. Its enduring appeal lies in its ability to touch the deepest corners of our souls and make us question our own morality and choices.5The novel "The Black Cat" has left an indelible mark on my mind. It is not just a story but a profound exploration of human nature and society.The book vividly presents various social problems that still resonate in our contemporary world. For instance, the characters' struggles with addiction and violence mirror the darker aspects of society that we often turn a blind eye to. It serves as a reminder that such issues persist and demand our attention.The black cat, in this story, holds a symbolic meaning that delves deep into the complexity of human nature. It represents the hidden, darker impulses within us that can surface under certain circumstances. The protagonist's descent into madness as he interacts with the cat shows how our internal demons can consume us if left unchecked.This story has made me realize that literature is not just an escape but a mirror that reflects the truth of society and the intricacies of human nature. It urges us to confront our flaws and strive for a better, more empathetic world. Through "The Black Cat", I have come to understand that we must always be vigilant of our actions and the impact they have on ourselves and those around us.。
英语黑猫系列读后感300字
英语黑猫系列读后感300字I really enjoyed reading the Black Cat series in English. The stories are thrilling and mysterious, keeping me on the edge of my seat with each page I turned. The characters are well-developed and relatable, making it easy for me to become emotionally invested in their journey.One of my favorite stories from the series is "The Case of the Missing Necklace." In this story, the main character, Detective Black, is tasked with solving the mystery of a valuable necklace that has gone missing from a wealthy socialite's home. As Detective Black follows the clues and interviews suspects, I found myself trying to piecetogether the puzzle alongside him. The unexpected twist at the end left me shocked and impressed by the clever writing of the author.The language used in the Black Cat series is engaging and easy to understand, making it a great choice forEnglish learners looking to improve their reading skills. Ifound myself picking up new vocabulary and expressions with each story, expanding my knowledge of the English languagein a fun and enjoyable way.Overall, I highly recommend the Black Cat series to anyone looking for a gripping and entertaining read. Whether you're a fan of mystery stories or just enjoy agood book, this series has something for everyone.---。
the black cat 读后感英文
the black cat 读后感英文（中英文版）After immersing myself in the chilling narrative of "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe, I was struck by the profound darkness and psychological depth that permeate the tale.The story, laced with a sense of guilt and horror, left an indelible mark on my mind, prompting me to reflect on the intricate relationship between man"s actions and their consequences.在阅读爱伦坡的《黑猫》这部充满寒意的小说后，我被其中深邃的黑暗和心理深度深深吸引。
这个故事，交织着罪恶感和恐怖气息，给我的心灵留下了难以磨灭的印记，促使我思考人类行为与其后果之间错综复杂的关系。
The protagonist"s descent into madness is a testament to the corrupting influence of guilt.Poe"s vivid descriptions of the cat"s eyes, glinting with a malevolent shine, serve as a mirror to the inner turmoil of the protagonist.It"s a harrowing exploration of how the mind can become a prisoner of its own making.主人公走向疯狂的历程，证明了罪恶感的腐蚀性影响。
爱伦坡《黑猫》英语作文
爱伦坡《黑猫》英语作文Symbolism in The Black CatAs an important writer in the 19th century history of American literature, Edgar Allan Poe exerted certain international influences.In Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat, symbolism is used to show the narrator’s capacity for violence, madness, and guilt. The symbolism of the first black cat (Pluto), the second black cat, and the white spot illustrates the narrator’s expanding capacity for evil and perverseness.The most important symbol of the story is the first black cat. The first black cat is symbolic of the narrator’s evil heart. It starts out in the story as the narrator’s favorite pet and playmate named Pluto, which is the name of the Underworld. On night, after returning home the narrator gets much intoxicated, so his love for the pet seems to fade away. Since the narrator is drunk. The first black cat avoids him. This bothers the narrator to the point where he picks up the cat and frightens it. Afraid of his master, the cat slightly wounds the narrator on the hand with his teeth. Because of the cat’s reaction to his picking him up, the narrator pokes out one of the cat’s eyes. The eye of the cat which is poked out by the narrator is symbolic of the narrator not wanting the cat to get a clear perception of his evil heart. Then suddenly on one morning the narrator hangs the first black cat by a noose from a tree. And finally the archetypal symbol associated with the first black cat is its color, black. The color black is associated with the well known superstition that black is symbolic of evil and darkness. The first black cat is the victim of the narrator’s evil and violence.The second black cat is symbolic of the narrator’s guilt. The night a fter the narrator’s house catches on fire, he goes to a bar where he sees the second black cat. The second black cat resembles the first black cat in every aspect except one. The finding of the second black cat is symbolic of the night on which the narrator comes home from a bar intoxicated. When the narrator begins to leave the bar, the second black cat begins to follow him and this is symbolic of the guilt that follows the narrator. The narrator notices that the second black cat resembles the first black cat in every aspect except one. And the similarity of the second black cat to the first black cat is symbolic of the guilt that the narrator is carrying. The narrator notices that at night the second black cat sits on his chest, just as the narrator’s guilt is doing.Finally, the white spot found on the second black cat’s chest is symbolic of the burden that the narrator carries on his heart. The second black cat has s splotch of white covering nearly the whole region of its breast, which at times changes forms. The color of the spot, white, is an archetypal symbol that has a universal meaning of purity and light. This white spot on the heart of the second black cat is symbolic of the purity of the first black cat’s heart. The white spot changes to the form of gallows, which is symbolic of the guilt of the narrator. So basically the white spotserves as a punishment to the narrator inflicted by the second black cat.The first black cat, the second black cat and the white spot are the three most important symbols in this story. Each one of these symbols represents the evil and perverseness of the narrator. The first black cat lets the reads get a clearunderstanding of the narrator’s evil heart. The second black cat gives the readers an insight of the narrator’s guilt for what he has done to the first black cat. And the white spot helps the readers to realize what type of the punishment the second black cat is inflicting on the narrator. The basic function of the first black cat, the second black cat and the whit spot is to illustrate the narrator’s increasing capacity for evil and his descent into madness.Symbolism applied in this story strengthens the artistic effect and symbolic meanings help the readers gain a deeper understanding of Edgar Allan Poe’s intent ions of creating such kind of short stories. In a word, Symbolism used in Poe’s stories has greatly reinforced the effect of the stories.。
大学英语专业毕业论文————埃德加爱伦坡————黑猫1
On the Role of the Black Cat in the Black CatAbstractEdgar Allen Poe is an important American novelist, poet and critic in the nineteenth century. His large number of poems and short stories have been widely read and spread, especially his gothic stories with mystery and horror. In one of his classics, the black cat, poe is skilled at mobilizing various elements in the fiction, using a variety of creative devices, to create a strong artistic effect. One of the most sophisticated ways in it is his employment of the selection of the image of the black cat, which is of significance for the study of the symbolism, offering an valuable opportunity to appreciate the horror effect, also contributing to a good understanding of the theme of the story. My essay aims at exploring these roles of the black cat and finding out how does it come into developing.Key W ords: Edgar Allen Poe, symbol, horror effect, themeIntroductionIt is truly proper to say that Edgar Allen Poe(1809-1849) was the most controversial and most misunderstood genius in American literary history. Nowadays, he is considered as one of the first modern literary theorists of America and praised as a genius for his brilliant works. However, at his times his works and himself were not fairly and objectively accepted and treated, criticized and despised by the temporary men of letters because of his eccentric literary style.Allen poe died young, but he suffered a lot from the deaths of his beloved ones and malicious attacks. Maybe, it is just his life tragedy that contributes to his unique aesthetic experience and writing principles, with which he wrote a large number of poems and short stories about death and horror. Among the short stories, it will be convenient to divide them into the broad types: horror tales, tales of ratiocination,and tales of satire. The horror tales are the majority of all his short stories, also on which his reputation relies. His horror tales are of a special texture, not because he took advantage of the sophisticated elements from the European Gothic tradition, such as subterranean danger, burial alive, ghosts, and the curse from the past, but because hehas fashioned these elements into the remarkable investigation of an abnormal psychological state and obsessional behaviour. In his preface to the original edition of Tales of Grotesque and Arabesque(1840), Poe hinted that the terror he was writing about comes "not from Germany, but from the soul"(Carlson 127). Indeed, it is the spirit in which Poe's stories should be read.The Black Cat is one of his classics of horror, in which poe told a terrible story between a black cat and his master. At the beginning of the story the hero was a kind and docile animal-lover. After marriage with a congenial wife, they raised several animals, among which Pluto, the black cat, was his favor. After a few years of indulgence the protagonist caught drinking habits, temperament greatly changed, and began to reproach his wife, abuse the animal. Once drunken, he cut one eye of Pluto. Although the protagonist bred a deep stream of guilt and regret the "PERVERSENESS "( p 10 ) of crime, he hanged the cat in his garden. Then he confronted another black cat looking like Pluto except for a piece of white mark on his neck. As time went, the protagonist found that his hatred for the second cat growing out of his control again; besides, the white mark became a clear shape of gallows. He wanted to kill the cat but manslaughtered his wife. In order to cover his crime he built the body into the wall, but the waillings of the cat revealed his crime and consigned him to the hangman.As is seen in the story, the black cat is endowed with many roles: the vehicle of symbols, the cause for the horror and the informer of the motif of the stories. Hence, it is not exaggerating to say that the image of the black cat plays an vital part in understanding and appreciating the gist and the beauty of horror in the story. All the above functions of the black cat constitute the main body of my essay.As for he unique characteristics of the horror tale, there are quite a few researchers at home and broad. Since the Black Cat belongs to the genre of the Gothic fiction, some researchers have put it into the frame work of the Gotic literature(Merton, 1995). In their opinions, the black cat, Pluto serving as a mirror to reveal the nature of human, has remained consistent through hundreds of years. As tothe traditional literary criticism, a few researcher use such literary theories, as romanticism, formalism, symbolism, etc to analyse the black cat in Poe's work(Damsry,1983; Jernigan, 1994). Some researchers try to use the psychological method to analyse the enrooted horror in the hero's spiritual world(Werner,1999). In China, the Black Cat is also the focus of study. For example, Li Xuehua, has written the Usage of Symbols in the Black Cat(2007); Ma Xiaomin, the Analysis of the Theme of the Black Cat(2009) and several graduate thesis from Y ang Bo and Chen Qiang.These critics do offer good suggestions on the grasp of the functions of the black cat. Therefore, I think it is both necessary and meaningful to make a concentrated study on the image of the black cat and to explore the different roles in the Gothic story. Hopefully, my study will add to a deeper understanding of the author's literary creation.。
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Symbolism in The Black Cat
As an important writer in the 19th century history of American literature, Edgar Allan Poe exerted certain international influences.
In Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat, symbolism is used to show the narrator’s capacity for violence, madness, and guilt. The symbolism of the first black cat (Pluto), the second black cat, and the white spot illustrates the narrator’s expanding capacity for evil and perverseness.
The most important symbol of the story is the first black cat. The first black cat is symbolic of the narrator’s evil heart. It starts out in the story as the narrator’s favorite pet and playmate named Pluto, which is the name of the Underworld. On night, after returning home the narrator gets much intoxicated, so his love for the pet seems to fade away. Since the narrator is drunk. The first black cat avoids him. This bothers the narrator to the point where he picks up the cat and frightens it. Afraid of his master, the cat slightly wounds the narrator on the hand with his teeth. Because of the cat’s reaction to his picking him up, the narrator pokes out one of the cat’s eyes. The eye of the cat which is poked out by the narrator is symbolic of the narrator not wanting the cat to get a clear perception of his evil heart. Then suddenly on one morning the narrator hangs the first black cat by a noose from a tree. And finally the archetypal symbol associated with the first black cat is its color, black. The color black is associated with the well known superstition that black is
symbolic of evil and darkness. The first black cat is the victim of the narrator’s evil and violence.
The second black cat is symbolic of the narrator’s guilt. The night after the narrator’s house catches on fire, he goes to a bar where he sees the second black cat. The second black cat resembles the first black cat in every aspect except one. The finding of the second black cat is symbolic of the night on which the narrator comes home from a bar intoxicated. When the narrator begins to leave the bar, the second black cat begins to follow him and this is symbolic of the guilt that follows the narrator. The narrator notices that the second black cat resembles the first black cat in every aspect except one. And the similarity of the second black cat to the first black cat is symbolic of the guilt that the narrator is carrying. The narrator notices that at night the second black cat sits on his chest, just as the narrator’s guilt is doing.
Finally, the white spot found on the second black cat’s chest is symbolic of the burden that the narrator carries on his heart. The second black cat has s splotch of white covering nearly the whole region of its breast, which at times changes forms. The color of the spot, white, is an archetypal symbol that has a universal meaning of purity and light. This white spot on the heart of the second black cat is symbolic of the purity of the first black cat’s heart. The white spot changes to the form of gallows, which is symbolic of the guilt of the narrator. So basically the white spot
serves as a punishment to the narrator inflicted by the second black cat.
The first black cat, the second black cat and the white spot are the three most important symbols in this story. Each one of these symbols represents the evil and perverseness of the narrator. The first black cat lets the reads get a clear understanding of the narrator’s evil heart. The second black cat gives the readers an insight of the narrator’s guilt for what he has done to the first black cat. And the white spot helps the readers to realize what type of the punishment the second black cat is inflicting on the narrator. The basic function of the first black cat, the second black cat and the whit spot is to illustrate the narrator’s increasing capacity for evil and his descent into madness.
Symbolism applied in this story strengthens the artistic effect and symbolic meanings help the readers gain a deeper understanding of Edgar Allan Poe’s intentions of creating such kind of short stories. In a word, Symbolism used in Poe’s stories has greatly reinforced the effect of the stories.。