Student Question
Can you break down this sentence from "The Cask of Amontillado"?
Quick answer:
The sentence from "The Cask of Amontillado" marks the beginning of the story's direct action, following initial exposition. It describes Montresor encountering his friend Fortunato at dusk during carnival season, a time of festivity and excess. This setting is significant because Montresor has premeditated this meeting, exploiting Fortunato's inebriation to carry out his revenge. The carnival atmosphere, full of indulgence, serves as the backdrop for the unfolding plot.
I assume you are asking for an explanation of the
sentence, rather than a grammatical breakdown. Please let me know if this is
not correct.
The sentence in question begins the fourth paragraph of
Edgar Allan Poe's short story, "The Cask of Amontillado." It introduces
the direct action of the story, preceded by three paragraphs of exposition.
It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season, that I encountered my friend.
It is nearly dark when Montressor runs across his "friend," Fortunato, on the street during "carnival season." Many cities feature annual carnivals still today (especially Caribbean islands and Latin American countries), where excessive food and drink are part of the activities. Such is the case in the locale of this story. We later find that the meeting is no coincidence--it is planned by Montressor--and that Fortunato's drunken state will provide Montressor with an easier foil.
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