"THe Black Cat" Morgan Myers

A significant question posed by the tone of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Black Cat” is the debate over whether or not he is confessing his guilt to murdering his wife and the black cat, or rather defending his actions. Tying closely into this question is the concept of “perverseness” that is addressed by the narrator, as well as his mentioning of alcohol abuse. By examining the both of these topics, I feel as though I can more closely come to a conclusion to the question posed of “confession” vs. “defense”.

In examining only the tone of the short story, there are many conflicting statements made by the narrator that can confuse the reader as to whether or not he is confessing to the atrocity, or defending his actions. His continuous mention of alcohol abuse makes it seem like he is, in fact, using alcohol as an excuse for his actions. The narrator states that it was, “…through the instrumentality of the Fiend Intemperance” (Pg. 231) that he developed the malevolent disposition that was so different from his natural state. He continues to place the blame on alcohol by claiming that his, “…disease grew upon me—for what disease is like alcohol!” (Pg. 231). By displacing the blame for his murderous actions, the narrator leads the reader to believe that he his trying to defend his actions. A full confession would conclude that he knew what he was doing in his natural state, without the need to blame a third contributor to the murders.

The narrator also implements the concept of “perverseness” as a trait of the human condition to use as another crutch to support his defense of his heinous crime. On Pg. 232 he further shapes his defense by stating, “And then came, as if to my final and irrevocable overthrow, the spirit of PERVERSENESS.” He claims that perverseness is one of the “indivisible primary faculties” (Pg. 232) of the nature of man. If this is so, then it further implies that he is not offering a confession, but rather a defense of his actions. That he could not escape perverseness because it is a part of his human nature, just like that of all mankind, once again takes the blame from himself to strengthen his defense. It is much like the “temporary insanity” plea that is often offered in cases on horrific crimes, where the defense tries to take the blame from the deliberate actions of the defendant, and place it on this inherent part of the defendant’s nature that he could not control.

In conclusion, I feel as though the narrator is offering his defense of his actions. Noting the fact that he has now been caught, and is awaiting his fate from a prison cell, only further leads to the sensibility of a defense over a confession. Why would he feel the need to confess when he is already detained for his actions? It seems to be much more logical that he would try to defend his actions in a last minute approach to forgiveness and freedom.