Choose Your Own Short Story: Socratic Questioning

Gina Poe
S. Hasty
Honors Sophomore English/ Block 4
3 November 2014
"The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe

Close-Ended Question:

What was the black cat's name?

The black cat's name was Pluto.

Open-Ended Question:

What clues does the narrator give wile telling the story to imply the second black cat could be a supernatural version of the late black cat Pluto?

The narrator has many hints implying the second black cat could be a supernatural version of his old cat Pluto. It is stressed in the story that the cat was just like Pluto, missing eye and all, except for the patch of white fur planted on his chest, "... and closely resembling him (Pluto) in every aspect but one. Pluto had not a white hair upon any portion of his body; but this cat had a large, although indefinite splotch of white, covering nearly the whole region of the breast." (Poe, 8) The cat also mystically went missing after the narrator murdered his wife, despite the narrator's efforts to look for him. A normal cat wouldn't have known the importance of getting away from the dangerous man. The cat was the forerunner of the narrator's eternal doom, seeking revenge for the cat's old bodily form being murdered. The cat grew an attachment to the narrator's wife, and annoyed the narrator how he knew would work- causing him to lash out, separating himself from the one person who loved him.

World Connection Question:

Is it common for people to lash their anger out on their pets?

It is very common for people to lash out on their pets. Sitting in the high school cafeteria, it is not abnormal to hear disturbed children bragging about how their cat made them mad, so they felt it was only appropriate to set them on fire, while they laughed as the poor cat burned to helpless dust. Outside of the wonderful high school of Lebanon, Missouri, animal abuse is still a problem. The Humane Society of the United States reports rescuing thousands of animals from miserable situations.
"Animal Cruelty Facts and Statistics : The Humane Society of the United States." RSS.  02 Nov. 2014. Web.

Universal Theme/ Core Question:

How does alcohol or drug abuse effect the lives of people and those around them?

Alcohol and drug abuse can be very damaging to someone and their relationships. When intoxicated, a person can do things they would never do while sober. Many of the things alcohol or drugs bring into their minds are physically, mentally, and emotionally damaging things to others- causing pain within themselves. Substance abusers can often lash out at people around them while under intoxication. This causes separation from those who love the substance abusers. This was highlighted in the story "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe. Pluto, the childhood pet whom he loved most, often hid from the narrator from fear of being hurt by his frequent drunkenness. Within their mind alone, they can feel insane guilt for things they do while intoxicated. Guilt can sometimes drive a person insane.

Literary Analysis Question:

By telling the story in first person, how does it make the reader feel about the narrator?

In the beginning of the story, the narrator explains the story as being unbelievable and "mere household events". This causes the reader to not expect anything to be a big deal, making the murdering of cats much more bizarre. Throughout the story, there are many emotional appeals one can have by connecting the cats within the story to cats of their own. By telling the story in first person, the author has created a strong sense of hatred to himself or the narrator. While reading the horrific events, one can't help but wonder about the sanity of the narrator, and self-proclaimed cat murderer. Causing readers to question your mentality, is a strong literary element.