Student Question

What specific diction does Edgar Allan Poe use in "The Black Cat"?

Quick answer:

The main diction in "The Black Cat" is the word "evil". This word has a lot of different meanings. For instance, when the narrator said that he and his cat were evil, he meant that they were going to cause harm to someone. The word "good" was used to describe how the cat was like a good person. The narrator also used words such as "demoniacal", which means angry or violent like a demon. Example: He thought the fiends from slow-burning Hell had taken possession of my soul.

Expert Answers

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When we think about diction we are referring to word choice. Thus, when considering the word choice or diction in "The Black Cat" you need to consider which words are used that relate to the theme and create mood and tone, and are linked to the effects Poe is trying to create.

One way to start an examination like this is to simply see which words are repeated throughout the story. Proceeding in this fashion reveals that phrases like "evil thoughts" and "heart", "rest" and "sleep", "a rage more than demoniacal", references to God, and of course "black cat."

Each of these words and phrases of course need to be linked in with the theme of the story and how they create the dark, tragic yet ironic mood of the narrator who is haunted by the black cat which, in his mind, causes all of his misfortunes. Hope this helps give you some ideas!

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