For some reason, the first time I read this, I was blindsided when he brought down the axe. I was shocked way more than the narrator. I think your suspicion of pre-meditation is on point..........
This story shares several similarities with another story by Poe called "The Tell-Tale Heart". What is important to understand is that "The Black Cat" does indicate the prevalence of the paranormal unlike the other one, which dealt mainly with madness, hallucination and a guilty conscience.
I like that it seems to be the inversion of a typical ghost story where the narrator is not a believer but rather skeptical, yet his ‘logical explanation’ is so far fetched that it forces one to consider the possibility of the supernatural
There’s a short animated film called the “Riddle of the Black Cat” Basically, the narrator is on trial, and another Poe character, C Auguste Dupin, is the prosecutor. It offered an interesting interpretation on what happened, as the detective pointed out somethings in the book that I didn’t notice before.
I actually never thought of your point that the narrator had an axe and masonry equipment handy just at the point when he killed his wife. He obviously was prepared for her murder, and it was more intentional than he led the reader to believe.
Maybe he stuck the cat in the tomb as well. Maybe he was looking for it to ensure that it never escaped. Maybe he cut its eye out as well. He only noticed that the eye was missing the morning after he brought it home.
It's a pleasure to listen to Carrie Hoover's wisdom 👍 Even though i did not like this particular story I decided to subscribe. It is my hope that Carrie will read some of my stories some day 💔💔
One thing I’d like to mention at 18:50 axes were very much commonplace especially around a fireplace (which if I’m not mistaken is near where he covers the body) this is why there was a large amount of axe murders in that time period because they were commonly kept by most families so they were a weapon of convenience is the terminology if memory serves. I also don’t think that there was mortar given that it only took a few people prying to tear down the wall so it seems the bricks were simply laid dry. I do think it was a crime of passion without premeditation given the narrator has been shown to be extremely impulsive and violent for no reason obviously to the point of killing Pluto and hurting his wife before the axe just happened to be in his hand this time.
I've owned three black cats. This is not a story for the faint of heart or for a cat person and makes me convinced I should have gone into law enforcement to set straight any of the morons who think they might get away with casual abuse of either their pets or their significant others blaming 'their daemons' or their alcohol use. Terrific analysis and fine video - thank you very much for posting.
There Also apears to be a link between psychopathy and animal cruelty. Children that Develop psychopathy often Show a tendency to animal cruelty in early stages of childhood.
@@CarrieHoover It was in 2013 at University of Missouri Kansas City. We read other poe, Virginia Wolf, Sylvia Plath, maybe Lovecraft, but my all time favorite was Norman Mailer, and especially I love the whole collection Dennis Johnson's Jesus' Son. Hey.. I wrote a gothic short story myself... Would you be able to find time to read it and basically let me know if it makes any sense?
I wrote it in short stories class 2014, but I missed the day I had my review so I didn't get any feedback, it was the last day of class. I would like to know if it's worth trying to publish. It's gothic religious allegory kind of...
@@CarrieHoover Are you a teacher or you just do this for fun? Mine is written from the coma/dream point of view, out of body lessons, etc. It's a trip. If you're a teacher, you are a good one. I dig it.
I have just read The black cat and one of the first thoughts that came to my mind was : ,,What if the second cat was never there? What if it was the symphtom of Delerium thremens and his guilt?" What do you think about this theory? There are a lot of cool theories about this story; one of them is that he frst killed his wife than the cat. You can find it online.
Thanks for your efforts I study this topic at the total phase II English Department I am very agent but with a few words I have made it thanks for the Middle East in Iraq l hope speak about the story open window thank you
Clear and comprehensive, thank you for sharing! Great for people like me who don't need it for school, but just want to dive a little deeper into the story :)
Thank you so much, english is not my native language, and the grammar the writer used was pretty complicated. So I could be wrong about this, but I thought he sealed of his wife in the place where the chimney used to be.
The entire scene takes place in the cellar, but the speaker does choose the spot in the wall where a fireplace or false chimney used to be. One explanation is that, at one point, the cellar of the building may have been used as living space, but has since been converted to storage.
I’ve just red this 3 times there wasn’t a wall with a cat outline on it and it was a knife not an axe I don’t understand I’m reviewing this for a college paper and your analysis of it has caused great confusion I have no idea what you read
The speaker tries to justify killing the cat by saying, "Who has not, a hundred times, found himself committing a vile or a stupid action, for no other reason then because he knows he should not?" The speaker is trying to normalize his actions by claiming that everyone has experienced those emotions. Also, by including the phrase "a hundred times," the speaker is attempting to minimize his actions. He is trying to reduce what he's done down to the level of cutting in line or hiding a sibling's toy. I hope that answers your question! Thank you for watching!
I admire Poe's poetry and short stories. However, 'The Black Cat' wasn't a story that I cherish or ever will because it involves murder. I could by no means sympathize with the storyteller. It hurts me when people hurt animals.
Fun Fact: sociopaths are known to show “fondness” for animals. It’s not really kindness or love, but a passing “oh, that’s cool” thing. Maybe the narrator was never a good person, and his alcoholism let him do whatever he wanted. Maybe his “confession” is him trying to manipulate the audience. He’s either likes using high flatulent language, or is condescending to us.
Is it possible that the narrator is still drunk when all this is happening? Maybe the splotch on the wall looks like a cat because he’s drunk when he saw it. Maybe he’s having alcohol-induced blackouts, so his memory is a bit spotty. Maybe the white spot on the cat is changing because he’s drunk and his eyes are clouded from the tears.
Absolutely; that's a really good idea! He could also be dealing with paranoia and/or hallucinations resulting from his continued alcoholism. Here's an abstract I found on alcohol-related psychosis: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459134/
For some reason, the first time I read this, I was blindsided when he brought down the axe. I was shocked way more than the narrator. I think your suspicion of pre-meditation is on point..........
I googled the "darkest" Poe short story and read this. Man, that was a messed up story lol.
I love the way you explain this story; Very helpful for my assignment. thank you so much!
You're welcome! I'm so glad it was helpful!
Meh..
This story shares several similarities with another story by Poe called "The Tell-Tale Heart". What is important to understand is that "The Black Cat" does indicate the prevalence of the paranormal unlike the other one, which dealt mainly with madness, hallucination and a guilty conscience.
I like that it seems to be the inversion of a typical ghost story where the narrator is not a believer but rather skeptical, yet his ‘logical explanation’ is so far fetched that it forces one to consider the possibility of the supernatural
There’s a short animated film called the “Riddle of the Black Cat”
Basically, the narrator is on trial, and another Poe character, C Auguste Dupin, is the prosecutor.
It offered an interesting interpretation on what happened, as the detective pointed out somethings in the book that I didn’t notice before.
I actually never thought of your point that the narrator had an axe and masonry equipment handy just at the point when he killed his wife. He obviously was prepared for her murder, and it was more intentional than he led the reader to believe.
Maybe he stuck the cat in the tomb as well.
Maybe he was looking for it to ensure that it never escaped.
Maybe he cut its eye out as well. He only noticed that the eye was missing the morning after he brought it home.
Horrible story. Animal abuse and murders his wife.
Carrie….your EAP vids are fantastic! I’ve developed a whole new level of insight and appreciation for his stories because of you.
Thank you so much!!
What is the Theme of the story?
That’s so kind of you! Thank you so much!
No English homework...54. Trying to read more. Good for my aging brain. 😀
It's a pleasure to listen to Carrie Hoover's wisdom 👍 Even though i did not like this particular story I decided to subscribe. It is my hope that Carrie will read some of my stories some day 💔💔
One thing I’d like to mention at 18:50 axes were very much commonplace especially around a fireplace (which if I’m not mistaken is near where he covers the body) this is why there was a large amount of axe murders in that time period because they were commonly kept by most families so they were a weapon of convenience is the terminology if memory serves. I also don’t think that there was mortar given that it only took a few people prying to tear down the wall so it seems the bricks were simply laid dry.
I do think it was a crime of passion without premeditation given the narrator has been shown to be extremely impulsive and violent for no reason obviously to the point of killing Pluto and hurting his wife before the axe just happened to be in his hand this time.
How come you only have this small amount of subscribers ? You definitely deserve more! Thank you so much for this amazing analysis!
Thank you this video helped me with my homework.
I've owned three black cats. This is not a story for the faint of heart or for a cat person and makes me convinced I should have gone into law enforcement to set straight any of the morons who think they might get away with casual abuse of either their pets or their significant others blaming 'their daemons' or their alcohol use. Terrific analysis and fine video - thank you very much for posting.
I thought the same thing!
There Also apears to be a link between psychopathy and animal cruelty. Children that Develop psychopathy often Show a tendency to animal cruelty in early stages of childhood.
It's a very disturbing element of Poe's story. I added a link to the Humane Society's page on domestic violence in the video notes.
Thank you Carrie. I'm brazilian and I very happy for find your video about The Black Cat, you help me a lot.
My favorite Poe story is The Masque of the Red Death. I'd love to hear your thoughts and analysis on it!
omg this was so helpful!! actually more entertaining to follow than the actual story, thank you!
I’m so glad you liked it!
Amazing analysis, thank you. Also love your personality.
very excellent miss hoover. this is a good coverage for my college project
한국 방송통신대에서 그 재미없는 영문학수업중 재미있게 읽던 블랙캣을 만나니 반갑네요 .1800년대에 이런 소설있었나 놀라웠고 당시 Poe 에 대해서 다시 찾아봤었어요
OMG! I LOVE YOUR ANALYSIS SO MUCH .THANKS
Thanks for watching!
Dude tysm for your Red Death video, went above and beyond especially at the end all the biblical points you made.
Thank you so much for the amazing analysis! Helped me so much in my course work.
Awesome! Thanks for watching!
Im really enjoying you summaries. I enjoy reading the stories and listenimg to your reviews.
Thank you so much!! You really help me from midterm crisis
That's amazing. We read this story in american gothic fiction, and it's my fave!
That sounds like a fun class! What else are you reading?
@@CarrieHoover It was in 2013 at University of Missouri Kansas City. We read other poe, Virginia Wolf, Sylvia Plath, maybe Lovecraft, but my all time favorite was Norman Mailer, and especially I love the whole collection Dennis Johnson's Jesus' Son. Hey.. I wrote a gothic short story myself... Would you be able to find time to read it and basically let me know if it makes any sense?
I wrote it in short stories class 2014, but I missed the day I had my review so I didn't get any feedback, it was the last day of class. I would like to know if it's worth trying to publish. It's gothic religious allegory kind of...
@@CarrieHoover Are you a teacher or you just do this for fun? Mine is written from the coma/dream point of view, out of body lessons, etc. It's a trip. If you're a teacher, you are a good one. I dig it.
@@CarrieHoover Poe is my hero... you may like it if nothing else, I don't need feedback. But I'd pay you if you did.
I have just read The black cat and one of the first thoughts that came to my mind was : ,,What if the second cat was never there? What if it was the symphtom of Delerium thremens and his guilt?"
What do you think about this theory? There are a lot of cool theories about this story; one of them is that he frst killed his wife than the cat. You can find it online.
Very good analysis : D
thank you so much, your analysis is really helpful. there are many things you mentioned that I didn't pay attention to while reading.
What an excellent explanation!
It helped me a lot.
Thank you so much
I’m so glad it was helpful!
This was very helpful for my exam I gotta sit for tomorrow! Thank You so much
thank you so much for this analysis.
Yes very helpful! This gives me so much to work with🙏🏽🙏🏽
WHOOP WHOOP! 300th subscriber!!
Haha, thank you!
Love your video, thank you so much!
Thank you for watching! I hope it was helpful!
this was amazing, thank you so much!!!
Thanks for watching!
Wow! What an amazing analysis! You deserve more followers, really!
That's so kind of you! Thank you for watching!
You're very welcome! 😊 Best of luck in your noble mission!
Thanks a lot this is very helpful ❤
Thank you for watching!
Thank you Carrie
Thank you for watching!
I’m so freaked out with her background and how the wall is so much of a different pattern than the rest.
Maybe she also covered something behind it?
@@davemidua6138 Perhaps a black cat?
Who knows?
Thanks for your efforts I study this topic at the total phase II English Department I am very agent but with a few words I have made it thanks for the Middle East in Iraq l hope speak about the story open window thank you
That was fantastic. Thank you 🙏
amazing analysis. exactly what i needed
I get a hint that the cat is a metaphor for the narrators conscience.
Omg! Thank this is SAVING MY SANITY for exams I can’t thank you ENOUGH💕
You're welcome! Good luck on your exams & thanks for watching!
this was an amazing analysis, thank youuu!!
Thankyou so much this video was very helpful my rhetorical analysis essay. Keep it up.
Thank you for watching! Good luck on your essay!
Clear and comprehensive, thank you for sharing! Great for people like me who don't need it for school, but just want to dive a little deeper into the story :)
Really helpfull, thanks a lot miss
Thank you sou much that was really helpful I have exams next week please keep going I wish you all the best ❤❤❤
Best of luck!
I loved your analysis...this helped me with my exams✍🏻Thank you
I'm so glad! Thanks for watching!
Amazing!!!
Thank you for watching!
Thank you so much!
Thank you 🙏
You're welcome! I hope it was helpful!
hey u just want to say thank you
Thank you for watching!
Thank you so much, english is not my native language, and the grammar the writer used was pretty complicated. So I could be wrong about this, but I thought he sealed of his wife in the place where the chimney used to be.
The entire scene takes place in the cellar, but the speaker does choose the spot in the wall where a fireplace or false chimney used to be. One explanation is that, at one point, the cellar of the building may have been used as living space, but has since been converted to storage.
Thank you this really helped me alot💖
Love this !!! ♡♡♡
At least Pluto got a better name than H.P. Lovecraft's cat.
You the best gurl 👏🏻👏🏻
I hope it was helpful!
I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS
thank you so much
Thank you for the analysis. I wonder if you have analysed Hemingway’s the short days of Mrs Mc Comber!
Thanks
Can you please do “Night by night night book elie wiesel?” I find you fascinating, interesting and I want to learn more
I’ve just red this 3 times there wasn’t a wall with a cat outline on it and it was a knife not an axe I don’t understand I’m reviewing this for a college paper and your analysis of it has caused great confusion I have no idea what you read
Super 😻♥️!
Thank you for watching!
It's simply a cautionary tale of the horrors of alcoholism!!
Do the ghost stories of M.R. James 👻
Do The Outsider by H.P. Lovecraft
I really love your analysis, but I still have confused on who caused the fire on his house 🥹 is that himself?
Why is it one of the darkest?!? Joking. But in all seriousness this was sooo dark. 😬 it doesn't help I love cats lol.
Wow🌹❤️🙏
Please read first before watching this! Omg it’s crazy
10:31
Please explain
bruh i wish i could see this video earlier
Can you please comment, the evidence on the story where he tells 'that this story is normalized and we all have done something like this' part?thxxxx
The speaker tries to justify killing the cat by saying, "Who has not, a hundred times, found himself committing a vile or a stupid action, for no other reason then because he knows he should not?"
The speaker is trying to normalize his actions by claiming that everyone has experienced those emotions. Also, by including the phrase "a hundred times," the speaker is attempting to minimize his actions. He is trying to reduce what he's done down to the level of cutting in line or hiding a sibling's toy. I hope that answers your question! Thank you for watching!
The cat is his alcoholism.
i try to english speaking but i cannot speak english, can you please gaide me?
I admire Poe's poetry and short stories. However, 'The Black Cat' wasn't a story that I cherish or ever will because it involves murder. I could by no means sympathize with the storyteller. It hurts me when people hurt animals.
Fun Fact: sociopaths are known to show “fondness” for animals. It’s not really kindness or love, but a passing “oh, that’s cool” thing.
Maybe the narrator was never a good person, and his alcoholism let him do whatever he wanted.
Maybe his “confession” is him trying to manipulate the audience. He’s either likes using high flatulent language, or is condescending to us.
If you consider the case of Dennis Reynolds yo, you're absolutely right. He shows fondness for cats many times in the show and he's clearly unhinged.
859th subscriber who is going to be 860?
Is it possible that the narrator is still drunk when all this is happening?
Maybe the splotch on the wall looks like a cat because he’s drunk when he saw it.
Maybe he’s having alcohol-induced blackouts, so his memory is a bit spotty.
Maybe the white spot on the cat is changing because he’s drunk and his eyes are clouded from the tears.
Absolutely; that's a really good idea! He could also be dealing with paranoia and/or hallucinations resulting from his continued alcoholism. Here's an abstract I found on alcohol-related psychosis: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459134/
@@CarrieHoover Well, another of Poe’s narrators from the story “Ligeia” is an addict, so I guess it was a common choice for characters
👁♥ur 🧠
I hate this story. Wish I had not bought his book.
It's definitely a tough one.