The Black Cat

Discuss the narrator’s murder of his wife and his motivation beyond the immediate catalyst. Why does he react so violently? What else has his wife done in this tale?

What is the narrator’s attitude toward humanity, and how does it determine his actions in this tale?

What role do superstitions about black cats play in the story? Does the story endorse this symbolism?

Discuss the narrator’s unreliability. How are we to know which events are true and which are imagined by the increasingly erratic narrator?

Discuss the narrator’s use of italics and unconventional capitalization of some words, like “Perverseness” and “Sin.” How do such choices develop the work’s themes?

Compare and contrast “The Black Cat” to another story by Poe such as “The Tell-Tale Heart” or “The Cask of Amontillado.” How do the stories differ in their depiction of guilt and/or mental illness?

Consider the concept of remorse in this story. What is the narrator remorseful about, and what isn’t he? What do his regrets (or lack thereof) suggest about his psyche?

Discuss the invocation of God, hell, and “the Arch-Fiend” in this tale. Is it clearly set within a Judeo-Christian tradition? Why or why not?