The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe

1) How did Poe's anonymous narrator kill his wife?

Poe's anonymous narrator killed his wife whenever he was trying to kill his second black cat, the one with white on his chest. Whenever he went to kill his cat, he lifted up his axe and was about to swing down upon the cat, but instead his wife grabbed his arm not allowing him to kill another cat. So this infuriates Poe's narrator and "...buried the axe in her brain. She fell dead upon the spot without a groan"(Poe 228). The anonymous narrator killed his wife in one deadly swing. For protecting the cat she lost her life, and got shoved into a wall.

2) Why is it the unnamed narrator treats the animals the way he does?

The unnamed narrator shows the reader he treats his animals the way he does because he simply knows he shouldn't through this thought "...to violate that which is Law, merely because we understand it to be such?" (Poe 225). This is the reason so many people do things they are told not to. As soon as it is known that it shouldn't be done the desire to do it is overwhelming. Poe's anonymous narrator does these things because he knew that when he did it he would be committing a sin.

3) Do people still make judgement off of simply what they shouldn't do today?

Yes, everyday someone somewhere is told not to do something so the person immediately does it because they were told not to. It is a factor of everyday life that it will be specifically said not to do something and the person will just do it anyways disregarding what was said.

4) How is it possible that a person could kill someone they loved?

It is perfectly possible and actually quite a reoccurring theme through out literature. The anonymous narrator was driven to insanity by the cats and as he was about to seize the opportunity to rid himself of his insanity his wife stopped him, which the unnamed becomes "Goaded by the interference into a more than demoniacal"(Poe 228), he was so mad he just struck his wife down without a moment of hesitation. He was determined to acquire his peace of mind so much that even his wife was not going to stand in his way.

5)Does Poe get the message of insanity across?

Poe does a brilliant job on showing the insanity that the cats bring. He also shows a brilliant job of insanity by showing how "I soundly and tranquilly slept; aye, slept even with the burden of murder upon my soul"(Poe 229). This quote shows that him murdering his wife fazed him not and he isn't bothered by it whatsoever. The reader does not have to be completely insane to understand what is going on in the story or comprehend the emotion Poe is trying to get across through the use of an anonymous narrator.