Theme Of The Pit And The Pendulum

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One question that is prevalent throughout history and throughout the world is simple, yet full of wonder: what happens after humans die? Edgar Allan Poe explores one of the many possibilities in “The Pit and the Pendulum” with the use of symbolism; specifically by comparing and relating a room to the phases of the afterlife. The narrator of the story is tried during the Spanish Inquisition for his beliefs and is found guilty in the mortal world. He believes he is being held in a cell, awaiting his death, but he has already been executed and is now facing the trials of the afterlife. In the cell, the narrator is faced with many obstacles he must overcome. The room, in a way, is a courthouse, a place of judgement in which the fate of Heaven or Hell is decided. In order to prove himself worthy of moving on to Heaven, the narrator must conquer three trials: the pit, the pendulum, and the walls of the dungeon. Poe’s uses symbolism to delve into the many layers of judgement and death by expanding the room as a concept. The first trial in the room is the pit, a representation of the death of a sinner. The cell is unlit, making it impossible for the narrator to see where he is going. Gaping like a …show more content…

The dungeon is a form of a courtroom, putting people through tests and trials that assess their suitability for the afterlife. The pit is Hell’s choice of death, which only true sinners fall into. The pendulum is Heaven’s prefered execution, which tempts its victims into dying the righteous way. The walls are an even balance of both, testing humans for tenacity and fortitude. The trials were designed to weed out the sinners, the greedy, and the weak; only the strongest are capable of making it through to redemption. Edgar Allen Poe uses symbolism as a tool to transform a story of imprisonment into a tale of the

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