Perversity In Poe And Alcoholism

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Some scholars argue that the narrator’s actions are not propelled by perversity, but rather his actions are propelled by alcoholism. Alcoholism answers some questions as to why the narrator commits his actions; however, it is still unclear as to what first drove him to alcoholism. Joseph Stark further disproves alcoholism as an acceptable answer behind the narrator’s actions, “the two murders (of cat and wife) occurred while he was sober. Only the gouging of the cat’s eye happened while he was drunk (qtd. in Piacentino, footnote 9). Hence, though alcohol may have been a contributing factor to his crime it cannot be described as the ultimate cause” (260). Furthermore, I argue that the narrator’s perversity is initially why the narrator becomes an alcoholic. Perversity is the only answer that can be given to explain each action the narrator commits. Secondly, perverseness pushes the narrator to not only kill his wife but effectively conceal the murder. The …show more content…

Poe uses the narrator’s perverse desires to harm the cat to emphasize his masculine declination. The narrator blames the cat for his actions rather than taking responsibility for his own perverse desires. The narrator states that “the hideous beast whose craft had seduced me into murder, and whose informing voice had consigned me to the hangman” (2501). The narrator is unable to place the blame on himself because he does not possess masculine qualities, which would allow him to take responsibility for his actions. The cat is used to symbolize feminine desires as a black cat is commonly associated with witches, sorcery, and evil. Women were commonly associated with witches and black cats in the eighteenth century. The narrator feels inferior to his wife, which contributes to his increasing feminine qualities. Thus, the cat adds to the narrator’s perverse desires which propels him to lose masculine

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