

Secondly, and more unclearly, as the result of a “perversion of the spirit” - a reason he cannot reconcile entirely. And even though his acts are beyond comprehension, he makes an effort to explain. These passages demonstrate the narrator’s ability to think and reflect. The night after his wife’s death, he confesses it’s weird that he can sleep “soundly and tranquility” even with the “weight of murder” on his conscience (Poe, par27). The narrator dismisses the possibility of a paranormal connection between the two. The second section occurs during Pluto’s murder and the accompanying fire (Poe, par10).

The first passage appears right at the beginning of the story where the narrator asserts that “Mad indeed would I be…’ and ‘yet, mad am I not (Poe, par 1)”. In three distinct passages, the narrator defends his mental stability. It’s difficult to tell if he’s delusional or just suffering from psychopathy, despite his best efforts to portray himself as sane.

The narrator is considered untrustworthy because of his bizarre behavior. The narrator’s argument is not sound in this tale because it lacks validity, and its premises are false. As the narrator’s unreliability develops, the narrator uses the time to alter the reader’s perspective of events, reducing the reader’s capability to assess the truth correctly. The usage and effects of time are used to achieve this manipulation. The narrator’s unreliability is heightened since the reader obtains a restricted viewpoint, allowing the narrator to influence the tale’s events. However, a new narrative develops once the character’s perspective is understood. Edgar Allan Poe’s short tale, “The Black Cat,” is simple to take at face value and conclude that the narrator speaks the truth at first look.

It doesn’t take long for the reader to see that the main character is suffering from alcoholism, and this becomes apparent throughout the narrative. Most people can relate with someone who has a pet in their house, regardless of whether or not they have a personal connection to that person. Early on, the protagonist had a soft spot in his heart for domesticated animals, particularly cats. The black cat is one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most interesting characters.
