An Analysis of Poe’s Short Story “The Cask of Amontillado”
The beauty off text is in the ability of designing it for the unity of effect, which will certainly cause impressions on sensitive, or even sensible, readers. Another aspect he mentions is the length of the story; it should be enough to keep the reader’s attention and read it at one sitting. Taking to account these three important aspects, procedure, unit of effect and length of the text, it is possible to assert that the short story “The Cask of Amontillado”, by Edgar Allan Poe, comprehends these items.
This short story is about a man obsessed with revenge; he protagonist is tired of being insulted by his friend, Fortunate, and decides to take revenge on him without being accused of it, as in “l must not only punish but punish with impunity’. The precision in the procedure of this short story may be perceived when analyzing the structure and the effect. In the beginning, the protagonist lets clear that he is going to revenge and that his true nature is not likely to threaten only; he is really fond of his family motto, Mentor’s, “memo me immune laciest”, which earns “no one attacks me with impunity’.
However, after declaring his anger, he no longer says anything about it or how he intends to do it, and even treats his friend like nothing bad has ever happened. The reader is going to know the intentions of the protagonist and where the story is leading to almost in the end of it. It is with surprise and horror that the reader reaches the climax.
By causing these feelings on the reader, it is considered that the structure was good enough to achieve the unity of effect.
The descriptiveness aspect of the text helped create an atmosphere of tension. Also, its length is proper to facilitate the effect of surprise because it can be read in a short period of time. References: POE, Edgar Allan. “The Philosophy of Composition”. 1846.
In The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Volvo. 14, edited by James E. Harrison, up. 19308. New York: AIMS Press, 1979. POE, Edgar Allan.
The Cask to Amontillado. Disposition me: ;http://victories. Com/read/amontillado; Access me: 23 Jan. 2013
