Lesson 34The Black Cat.docx

Lesson 34The Black Cat.docx

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Lesson34TheBlackCat

Lesson3-4:

‘TheBlackCat’byEdgarAllanPoe

Name:

_____________________________Section:

_______

1.POINTOFVIEW

GuidingQuestion:

Whoistellingthestory?

PointofViewisthe______________________________fromwhichtheeventsinthestoryareobservedandrecounted.

Todeterminethepointofview,identifywhoistellingthestory,thatis,theviewerthroughwhoseeyesthereadersseetheaction（thenarrator）.

Considertheseaspects:

A.Pronounp-o-v:

First（I,We）/Second（You）/ThirdPersonnarrator（He,She,It,They]

B.Narrator’sdegreeofOmniscience[Full,Limited,Partial]

C.Narrator’s“Un/Reliability”

Inotherwords–typesofNarrativeVoice:

✓_______________________:

narratorisacharacterinthestory;uses“I,”“we,”etc.

✓_______________________:

narratoroutsidethestory;uses“he,”“she,”“they”

✓_______________________:

narratortellsonlywhatonecharacterperceives

✓_______________________:

narratorcanseeintothemindsofallcharacters.

2.THENARRATORIN‘THEBLACKCAT’

Readtheexcerptbelowandthinkaboutquestions1-3:

FORthemostwild,yetmosthomelynarrativewhichIamabouttopen,Ineitherexpectnorsolicitbelief.MadindeedwouldIbetoexpectit,inacasewheremyverysensesrejecttheirownevidence.Yet,madamInot--andverysurelydoInotdream.Butto-morrowIdie,andto-dayIwouldunburthenmysoul.Myimmediatepurposeistoplacebeforetheworld,plainly,succinctly,andwithoutcomment,aseriesofmerehouseholdevents.Intheirconsequences,theseeventshaveterrified--havetortured--havedestroyedme.YetIwillnotattempttoexpoundthem.Tome,theyhavepresentedlittlebutHorror--tomanytheywillseemlessterriblethanbarroques.Hereafter,perhaps,someintellectmaybefoundwhichwillreducemyphantasmtothecommon-place--someintellectmorecalm,morelogical,andfarlessexcitablethanmyown,whichwillperceive,inthecircumstancesIdetailwithawe,nothingmorethananordinarysuccessionofverynaturalcausesandeffects.

1.Whoistellingthestory?

2.

Howdoesthenarratordescribehimselfandtheeventsthatheisabouttotell?

Moreimportantly,canwetrustthenarrator?

3.Doyouthinkwhathappensin‘TheBlackCat’isa‘homelynarrative’,‘merehouseholdevents’and‘nothingmorethananordinarysuccessionofverynaturalcausesandeffects’?

Whywouldthenarratorsayso?

Readtheexcerptbelowandthinkaboutquestions4-6:

10   Onthenightofthedayonwhichthiscrueldeedwasdone,Iwasarousedfromsleepbythecryoffire.Thecurtainsofmybedwereinflames.Thewholehousewasblazing.Itwaswithgreatdifficultythatmywife,aservant,andmyself,madeourescapefromtheconflagration.Thedestructionwascomplete.Myentireworldlywealthwasswallowedup,andIresignedmyselfthenceforwardtodespair.

11   Iamabovetheweaknessofseekingtoestablishasequenceofcauseandeffect,betweenthedisasterandtheatrocity.ButIamdetailingachainoffacts--andwishnottoleaveevenapossiblelinkimperfect.Onthedaysucceedingthefire,Ivisitedtheruins.Thewalls,withoneexception,hadfallenin.Thisexceptionwasfoundinacompartmentwall,notverythick,whichstoodaboutthemiddleofthehouse,andagainstwhichhadrestedtheheadofmybed.Theplasteringhadhere,ingreatmeasure,resistedtheactionofthefire--afactwhichIattributedtoitshavingbeenrecentlyspread.Aboutthiswalladensecrowdwerecollected,andmanypersonsseemedtobeexaminingaparticularportionofitwithveryminuteandeagerattention.Thewords"strange!

""singular!

"andothersimilarexpressions,excitedmycuriosity.Iapproachedandsaw,asifgraveninbasreliefuponthewhitesurface,thefigureofagiganticcat.Theimpressionwasgivenwithanaccuracytrulymarvellous.Therewasaropeabouttheanimal'sneck.

4.Isthecauseofthefirewell-explained?

5.Isitpossibleforawalltoremaincompleteandintactaftersuchadestructivefire?

Commentonthenarrator’sexplanationforthepresenceofthewallthat‘resist[s]theactionoffire’.

6.Doyoufindtheapparitionofthecat’sfiguresupernatural?

Whywouldthenarratorseesuchanapparition?

Readtheexcerptbelowandthinkaboutquestions7-9:

14 OnenightasIsat,halfstupified,inadenofmorethaninfamy,myattentionwassuddenlydrawntosomeblackobject,reposingupontheheadofoneoftheimmensehogsheadsofGin,orofRum,whichconstitutedthechieffurnitureoftheapartment.Ihadbeenlookingsteadilyatthetopofthishogsheadforsomeminutes,andwhatnowcausedmesurprisewasthefactthatIhadnotsoonerperceivedtheobjectthereupon.Iapproachedit,andtoucheditwithmyhand.Itwasablackcat--averylargeone--fullyaslargeasPluto,andcloselyresemblinghimineveryrespectbutone.Plutohadnotawhitehairuponanyportionofhisbody;butthiscathadalarge,althoughindefinitesplotchofwhite,coveringnearlythewholeregionofthebreast.

18Whatadded,nodoubt,tomyhatredofthebeast,wasthediscovery,onthemorningafterIbroughtithome,that,likePluto,italsohadbeendeprivedofoneofitseyes.Thiscircumstance,however,onlyendearedittomywife,who,asIhavealreadysaid,possessed,inahighdegree,thathumanityoffeelingwhichhadoncebeenmydistinguishingtrait,andthesourceofmanyofmysimplestandpurestpleasures.

7.IstheresemblancebetweenPlutoandthesecondcatacoincidence?

Whatyoudothink?

8.Whydoyouthinkthenarratorwantstobringthecathome?

9.Doyouthinkthesecondcatreallyexist?

Whyorwhynot?

Readtheexcerptbelowandthinkaboutquestions10-11:

Mywifehadcalledmyattention,morethanonce,tothecharacterofthemarkofwhitehair,ofwhichIhavespoken,andwhichconstitutedthesolevisibledifferencebetweenthestrangebeastandtheoneIhaddestroyed.Thereaderwillrememberthatthismark,althoughlarge,hadbeenoriginallyveryindefinite;but,byslowdegrees--degreesnearlyimperceptible,andwhichforalongtimemyReasonstruggledtorejectasfanciful--ithad,atlength,assumedarigorousdistinctnessofoutline.ItwasnowtherepresentationofanobjectthatIshuddertoname--andforthis,aboveall,Iloathed,anddreaded,andwouldhaveridmyselfofthemonsterhadIdared--itwasnow,Isay,theimageofahideous--ofaghastlything--oftheGALLOWS!

--oh,mournfulandterribleengineofHorrorandofCrime--ofAgonyandofDeath!

10.Whywouldthepatternonthecat’sfurchangetoGALLOWS?

Whatdoesittellyouaboutthenarrator’spsyche?

11.Overallspeaking,thisfirstpersonnarratoris______________________________.

WhywouldEdgarAllanPoeuseanunreliablenarrator?

What’sthesignificance?

3.IRONY

Inabroadsense,ironyisadiscrepancybetweenwhatisanticipatedtobetrueandwhatisactuallytrue.

Threetypesofirony:

A.Verbalirony–whatis____________appearstobedifferentfromwhatis__________.

B.Situationalirony-thedifferencebetweenwhatis______________tohappenandwhatactuallyhappens.

C.Dramaticirony–whenthe________________knowsomethingthatacharacterdoesn’tknow.

4.IRONICELEMENTSIN‘THEBLACKCAT’

Themonologueofthisunreliablenarratoritselfisanirony,whichpresentsadiscrepancybetweenwhathesaidandwhattherealityappearstobe.Dramaticironyisalsointerwovenintothereadingaswediscoversthetruthabouthispsychewhilehecontinuoustodeceivehimselfontheevehisexecution

-Insistsonhissanity,whilereaders,havingdecodedhismaliciousact,wouldknowthathehasadistortedpsyche.

-Triestospeakrationally,onlytorevealshisutterirrationalbehavior.

-Triestomakethereadersfeelsorryforhimasheblamesallhismisdeedsonthespiritofperseveresandthecraftofthesecondcat,butthisonlyservestorevealhisguiltandinabilitytocopewiththedarksideofhispersonality.

-“…docilityandhumanityofmydisposition”,“mytendernessofheart”,“intensityandgratification”fromkeepingpetshisabusivebehaviorobviouslycontradictshisclaimofbeingananimallover.

-“paltryfriendshipandgossamerfidelityofmereMan”criticizesmankindfor‘infidelity’,butitturnsouttobeHIMwhobetrayshisbelovedpetsandwife.

-“ordinarysuccessionofnaturalcausesandeffects”hecontradictshimselfwithhismindoccupiedwithsupernaturalelements,thecausesandeffectsarenot‘natural’atall.

-“merehouseholdevents”thislevelofdomesticandanimalabuseandmurderwouldnotbeconsidered

-“…plainly,succinctly,withoutcomments”heisagaincontradictinghimselfheaddscommentsfromtimetotime（e.g.comesupwithaseeminglylogicalexplanationfortheimprintofthecatonthewallafterthefire,commentsonthemotiveofthekillings（blameperverseness,blamethecat）.

Theeye（s）–asymbolofclearvisionandintelligence

-Thenarrator,withbotheyescomplete,shouldhaveclearervisionthanPlutoandthesecondcat,whoarehalf-blinded（EXPECTATION）.Butironically,bothcatsappeartobemorecapableofseeingthereality–Plutorecognizeshisincreasingviolenceanddodgesfromhim,whereasthesecondcatiswell-awareofthenarrator’sdesiretodefyauthorityandthusmakesgooduseofthenarrator’sstupidrappingofhiscaneonthewalltoexposehiscrimetothepolicebyshriekingoutloud.（REALITY）Humansaresupposedtothesmarterthananimals,butthestorypresentstheoppositeofsuchtaken-for-grantedassumption（situationalirony）.

Ironicending

-Thenarratorcouldhaveevad