The Pit And The Pendulum

514 Words2 Pages

In Poe’s short story, The Pit and The Pendulum, the main character, our narrator, has been captured and is certain that he will die. The story unfolds as he awakens after having lost consciousness. In order to understand him and comprehend the type of man he is, we must make inferences from his thoughts and actions.

The Spanish Inquisition has captured the narrator. How he was captured or why he did not say, but the fact that he was arrested tells you something about who he is. When the Spanish Inquisition was in power, everyone knew the consequences of going against them. The fact that he rebelled against them when he knew what the ramifications of his actions would be shows that he was strong-willed, idealistic, and independent. One can assume that he acted on what he believed in (which obviously went against the Spanish Inquisition) and got himself thrown in jail.

Another inference the reader can make is that the narrator is uncommonly smart. When he was bound to the wooden board awaiting his death, he uses the only two resources that are available to him, food and the rats. ...

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