Black cat discussion Questions

1. Discuss the significance: There is something in the unselfish and self-sacrificing love of a brute, which goes directly to the heart of him who has had frequent occasion to test the paltry friendship and gossamer fidelity of man.”
When saying this he is starting that he shows emotion to some things and doesn’t to others.
2. How does the description of the cat as “sagacious” contribute to the meaning of the story?
It’s is describing on how he feels about the cat and his cat.
3. What is the significance of the cat’s name, Pluto?
It was his favorite pet and playmate. God of the under world
4. What is the significance of the narrator’s change of disposition from docile and tender to “…more moody, more irritable and regardless of the feelings of others”?
That the character has changed from the way he was at the start, that he now really has no feelings for anything.
5. Why did the narrator initially restrain himself from maltreating the cat while maltreating the other animals?
He kept himself from maltreating the cat because he loved the cat he didn’t want to hurt it but he, but he didn’t really care for the others.
6. Why does he eventually mistreat the cat?
He eventually starts maltreating his cat because his illness and madness over comes him
7. Describe the narrator’s feelings after abusing the cat. What is the significance?
A feeble and equivocal feeling
8. How does the narrator define “perverseness? Do you agree with his definition? Do you agree that it is human nature?
It is one of the primary impulses of the human heart, yes I agree with definition but I don’t think that it is human nature to hurt something
9. Significance: [I] hung it because I knew that it had loved me, and because I felt it had given me no reason for offence; because I knew that in doing so I was committing a sin.”
That he didn’t love him and that he wanted to commit a sin.

10. Discuss the significance of the fire. How does the narrator explain the phenomenon he discovers after the fire? What does the phenomenon symbolize?
That someone had cut down the cat and thrown him into the wall for miss treating his cat.
11. What is significant about the new cat and his markings? What does the cat symbolize?
The new cat resembled Pluto with one eye; the only difference was that he had a large white spot on his chest that looks like swallows. It was second chance
12. Discuss: “And now was I indeed wretched beyond the wretchedness of mere Humanity. And a brute beast to work out for me – whose fellow I had contemptuously destroyed – a brute beast to work out for me – for me a man, fashioned in the image of the High God – so much of insufferable woe!”
He is talking about how he killed something he once loved
13. Why is it significant that this cat will not leave the narrator alone?
That the cat was trying to torment him by loving him, and it did what Pluto use to do.
14. How does the fact that the narrator kills his wife instead of the cat add to the meaning of the story?
He feels proud that could hide the body that without anybody finding out where the body is hidden. He killed her because she tried to stop him from killing the cat.
15. What is significant about the narrator’s method of disposing of the body?
He hides it in the wall of the caller till the police find it
16. Discuss the significance, “I made no doubt that I could readily displace the bricks at this point, insert the corpse, and wall the whole thing up as before, so that no eye could detect anything suspicious.
The police couldn’t find his wives dead body. He is so proud that no one could find her . He ends up showing them where she is.
17. Why is the narrator able to sleep well after he conceals the body?
It didn’t bother him, the cat was gone and he doesn’t have to worry about it
18. Significance: “Once again I breathed as a free man.”
He thinks he is invincible
19. Why does the narrator feel triumphant when the police arrive?
He thinks his work is so good nobody could find him.
20. Discuss the syntax and punctuation in the following: “No sooner had the reverberation of my blows sunk into silence, than I was answered by a voice from within the tomb! – by a cry, at first muffled and broken, like the sobbing of a child, and then quickly swelling into a one long, loud, and continuous scream, utterly anomalous and inhuman – a howl a wailing shriek, half of horror and half of triumph, such as might have arisen only out of hell, conjointly from the throats of the dammed in their agony and of the demons that exult in damnation!”
Progression of the screaming
21. How do you explain the ending? Discuss the symbolism.
You will get found. You can’t hide everything you do