The Black Cat: How Superstitions Break Minds

Mumu is taking their time revisiting the seminal works of Edgar Allan Poe, and they’re up to one you’d rather not cross your path…

TITLE: “The Black Cat” (pgs 19-32 from Great Tales And Poems Of Edgar Allan Poe)

AUTHOR: Edgar Allan Poe

GENRE: Gothic Dark Fiction

PAGES: 13

FORMAT: Paperback Book

PRICE: US $5.95 / CAN $6.99

Out of all of Edgar Allan Poe’s works, this one I like the least due to the animal cruelty it portrays as the main character loses his mind over one black cat. Yet, I have to admit, the psychological horror behind this one does send chills down my spine. It was a normal black cat that chose him, followed him home and his wife adopted the poor creature. At first the story was how his cat, named Pluto, became his best friend. The main character’s temper became ill, causing violent outbursts and where he began to harm his animals.

He even tortured poor Pluto by slicing out its eye, all because of it being afraid and biting him from his intoxicated state. He expected Pluto to love him after all of that, too; he grew even more deranged and angry that Pluto no longer loved him. To the point where his wife accompanied him downstairs to the cellar for an errand and Pluto followed, causing the main character to lash out and attempt to kill him. His wife stopped him and he killed her instead, digging the blasted axe through her brain. His temper was crazy; not something lightly spoken of, unlike in this story. He went incredibly off the walls crazy; even going so far as to attempt to kill Pluto as well, burying it behind a wall with his wife’s corpse.

Now, it got me wondering; would the story still be the same if the cat was a different color or specific breed? Here’s the thing; black cats have been associated with bad luck and being spooky for generations, but if one replaces the descriptions of the cat with orange or calico colorings, the story will read exactly the same.  It doesn’t matter what the cat is, or even what the animal is, the story doesn’t change.

The main character still suffers from anger fits, he would still kill his wife and attempt to kill his cat. The main character is in charge of his actions, not some silly omen or evil from Pluto. Throughout the story, it is not even mentioned that Pluto did anything to provoke such a response. The main character could have sought help when he started these anger fits instead of brushing it off like it was no big deal; he could have just put the axe down when his wife grabbed it from him. Instead, he blamed Pluto for his evil ways. Thankfully, there is karma for his actions.

In the end, Pluto won by yowling where he was buried; the wall was taken down and the body of his wife was in view. The main character would be facing the hangman in the morning for the murder he committed, yet he still blamed the cat for the whole ordeal. How mad does one have to be to blame an innocent cat for their own actions?

Mumu the Tricked loves to read and write. It’s easier to sit still and work with their eyes and hands than move around some days. They are hoping to become a successful author and book reviews are quite fun, too. Thank you!

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views or opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.