On 20/04/24 the Department of English, Government Arts College, Talaja organised the activity for B.A. first year students which are based on Environmental Studies as part of a syllabus. In Nowadays everyday Life we face many problems that are seen in ecological. such as what kind of relationship between nature and man, the crisis facing nature in today's time, the destruction of forests, Climate Change ect..
In this blog based on Active Learning classroom activity by the students. but while studying nature, the students presented their presentations by sitting under a neem tree with the idea of doing this activity in the lap of nature.
Concepts of ecology , the students had to write poetry keeping the element of nature in the center in their creative writing. The purpose of these activities is to make a creative corner strong. Many students participated in poetry writing here is a names of participates,
Parmar Krishnaraj,
Miral Joshi,
Purvarajsinh Sarvaiya,
Dhara Bhandari,
Nidhi Chauhan,
Mitalba Rathod,
Rajee Bhammar and
Mittal Baraiya.
List of Poems
વૃક્ષની વેદના
અરે ઓ ! મતલબી માણસો મને પાણી તો પાતા જાવ;
પાણી ન દયો તો તમારી સારી આશા તો દેતા જાવ.
આ ગરમી માં મને થોડી હિંમત તો દેતા જાવ;
હિંમત ન દયો તો મને માન તો આપી દેતા જાવ.
જીવનની અમુક પળ તો મારી સાથે વિતાવતા જાવ;
પળ નય તો આ પક્ષી નો કલરવ તો સાંભળતા જાવ.
મારી આ નાજુક હાલત ને થોડો ટેકો તો આપતા જાવ;
ટેકો નય તો પક્ષી માટે કુંડા તો ટિંગાડ તા જાવ.
તમે અહીંયા થોડો આરામ તો કરતા જાવ;
આરામ નહિ તો તમારા આડવિત્રા બાળક ને તો મૂકતા જાવ.
બસ બસ મારી આટલી વેદના ને તો સંભળતા જાવ;
અરે ઓ ! મતલબી માણસો મારી વેદના ને તો અનુભવતા જાવ.
-પૂર્વરાજસિંહ પી.સરવૈયા
Roll no 23
સૂર્યનું અભિમાન
મનુષ્યની જીવનની જ્યોત હું છું, તો મરણ જ્યોત પણ હું જ છું.
મારા થકી પ્રકાશિત થાય છે વિશ્વ,મારા થકી અંધકારમય બને છે વિશ્વ,
મારા થકી ખીલી ઉઠે છે ફૂલો,મારા થકી કરમાય પણ જાય છે ફૂલો.
હું જ તમને ઠંડીથી બચાવું,હું જ તમને ગરમીથી તપાવું છું,
મારા પ્રકાશથી મનુષ્યની આંખો ખૂલે છે,તો મારા જ પ્રકાશથી મનુષ્યની આંખો બંધ પણ થાય છે.
મનુષ્ય નમસ્કાર કરે છે,તો હું ચમત્કાર છું,
મારો ઉદય એ આરંભ,ક્યાંક મારો ઉદય એ અંત પણ હોય.
જેમ મારી નજીક કોઈ નથી આવતું,તેમ મારાથી કોઈ દૂર નથી જાતું,
મારાથી મનુષ્ય સુખ ભોગવે છે,તો મારાથી દુઃખ પણ ભોગવે છે.
મનુષ્યની જીવન જ્યોત હું છું,તો મરણ જ્યોત પણ હું જ છું.
-K.M.Parmar
Roll no: 16
મે પ્રકૃતિને નિહારી
પ્રકૃતિના ખોળે રહીને
મે પ્રકૃતિને નિરખી છે.
પ્રકૃતિને સોળે કળા એ ખીલતા
મે પ્રકૃતિને નિરખી છે.
નદી,ઝરણુ,ઉપવન,પહાડ સાથે
મે પ્રકૃતિને નિરખી છે.
સુંદર નભ અને આ દરિયો
મે પ્રકૃતિને નિરખી છે.
સુરજ સાથે ચંદ્ર શીતળ તેમા પણ
ટમટમતા તારા સાથે
મે પ્રકૃતિને નિરખી છે.
જગતની આ રચના કરનાર હે “ઈશ"
મે પ્રકૃતિને નિરખી છે.
-R.N.Bhammar
Roll No. 03
वृक्ष की कहानी
कोई इन वृक्षो से तो पूछे,
कैसे सबके सामने खड़ा रहा जाए ?
दुनिया उसको कटाए,
पर फिर भी दुनिया के सामने कैसे अपना प्यार जताए ।
हें मनुष्य तु उसे पत्थर मारे,
फिर भी वह तेरी भूख को वारें,
तेरी छाया बनके वो खड़ा,
फिर भी तु उसके लिए कितनो से लड़ा ?
किसी का घर तो किसी का होंसला,
तुने तो उसे न समझने का बनाया फेसला ।
तेरी नज़र बदल वो है तेरा सबसे बड़ा रिश्तेदार,
कभी तो तुम भी बन लिया करो उसके साथीदार ।
तेरे आंगन में खड़ा,
तुने कब उसे दिया पानी का घड़ा।
तेरे लिए वह तरस गया,
तुने उसपे कभी प्यार न जताया।
तेरे स्वार्थने उसको काटा,
पैसों के लिए तुने उसको बांटा।
तेरे जीवन का वह सहारा,
तुने उसपे लिए ही कहर बरसाया ।
-D.R.Bhandari
Roll Number: 04
एक पेड की दास्तान
अपने आँगन मे लगे उस पेड को, मैं अक्सर देखा करती हूँ, जैसे बाते कर रहा हो मुझसे।
मुझसे, वो मेरे हि हाल पूछ रहा हो ! कभी वो झूम कर हसता, तो मैं मुस्कुरा देती, कभी उसका खामोश होना मुझे खामोश कर देता ।।
फिर भी मन कई बार यह सवाल करता हैं, आखिर क्या वजह होगी इस बात की ? कि अपनी शाखाओं पर उसने कई नाजुक पत्ती को अभी तक संभाल कर रखा है !
इतने सर्द मौसम में, जहाँ सारे पेड़ सूख गए,
वो हल्की तेज हवाओं में कैसे बेफिक्र लहरा रहा है…!!!
शायद ये पेड़ अभी भी मुझे कुछ कहना चाह रहा है…
-MIRAL .P. JOSHI
Roll no. 09
स्वार्थ की माया
कुदरत ने बनाया, तुने न बचाया ।
वृक्ष ही तेरा जीवन, उसकी छाया तेरा कवन।। १
तेरे जन्मो का सहारा, तुने उसे न संवारा ।
वृक्ष की वेदना, तुजसे न संभलना ।।२
तुने उसको कांटा, उसने तुजको सुख बांटा ।।३
शितलता, तो कभी खाना तुझको दिया।
तु कभी उसके लिए न जिया ।।४
तुने उसको मार दिया, तुझे तो उसने सब कुछ दिया ।
फिर भी तुने उसको कभी आशिर्वाद न दिया।।५
यह है, तेरे स्वार्थ की माया तुने कांटी उसकी काया।।६
-N.J.Chauhan
Roll number : 07
"હે કુદરત!"
હે કુદરત! તુ શું છો?
તું સોનેરી સવાર ને
તુજ શીતળ રાત
તું લીલુડી ધરતી ને
તુજ નીલુ આભ
તું છો સમુદ્ર ને
તુજ સમુદ્ર ની માછલી
તું પક્ષીનો કલરવ ને
તુજ સિંહ ની દહાડ
તું છો ઝાડ ને
એનું લીલું પાન
તું છો પર્વત ને
તું જ નદી નું વહેતું ઝરણું
તું છો મારું ઘર ને
તું જ મારું જીવન
તું જ મારું જીવન ને
તું જ મારો અંત
હે કુદરત! તું છો મારા મા ને
હું વસું છું તારા માં
-Mittal Baraiya
Every student has written a nice poem. Words fall short of your efforts. Now keep writing…
Another activity was to make a video of the feeling of a Banyan tree poem by Dilip Chitre. Two students participated in this activity. Sanjana made a video on William Wordsworth's poem Daffodils. Nicely edited, appropriate images and well presented.
Watch the Daffodils poem recitation video
Miral made a video on the poem Felling of the Banyan Tree Written by DIlip Chitre. Nice interpretation, well presented, good editing. Keep Doing…
Many students also participated in the third activity which was to draw a picture with nature as the center. Students names who are participate,
Miral,
Rajee,
Sanjana,
Mansi,
Akta.
Well Draw, Keep Doing…
To make this activity successfull, thanks to Miral Joshi (Sem II student) for hosting the events. Special thanks to the head of English department Dr.Purvi madam. Special thanks to Nishtha madam who joined us in this activity, Thanks to all Dear students who made the presentation, This Activity would not have been successful without you and all the students who joined as a Listener. Keep up the enthusiasm.
I am Hinaba Sarvaiya, this blog is based on the one act played by Joe Corrie. We Know that the one act play means to perform in 20-40 minute play in one setting. Here I write a detailed one act play Tell It Not In Gath which is more informatics with small dialogues but is like a comedy in a satirical way.
About Author:-
According to T.S Eliot Joe Corrie is as
"The greatest Scot poet since Burns"
"Joe Corrie is a man with a gift of a vision of Beauty. He is set in the hard reality of a miner's life, lived in a Miner's row and vision and reality are in surging conflict."
-Mac Donald
Joe Corrie was born on 13 May 1894 to a collier father and a land-working mother. He was a Minerpoet, Scottish playwright and radical activist. He spent his first few years in Slamannan, south of Falkirk, before moving to Cardenden, in Fife, with his parents and his three younger siblings. At the age of fourteen, Joe left school and followed in his father’s footsteps, down the pits of Cardenden and Lochgelly. He worked there until the death of his father, in 1915, before moving to the mining village of Mauchline, for three years. Back in Cardenden, in 1918, 1918, Corrie made the acquaintance of Andrew Doig, a well-read pit electrician who became Joe’s mentor and encouraged him in writing.
In 1919, Corrie began to write poetry in a minute notebook, which has been preserved by the National Library of Scotland. On the first pages of his modest manuscript, Corrie wrote a dedication to Andrew Doig, ‘in testimony of my admiration and joy which I have derived during the course of many pleasant conversations’. The following twenty poems reflect Corrie’s themes, emotions, and politics as a young working-class writer.
Strongly influenced by Robert Burns, Corrie’s early pieces celebrate the common man against figures of temporal and spiritual authorities. His poems are inspired by the mining Communities of west Fife and explore Socialist themes.
He has extensive works of more than 75 published plays, six collections of poems, one collection of short stories, one novel and many unpublished songs and recordings.
Published works are The Poacher 1926, In Time O' Strife, poems are Hypocracy, The Image of God and The Road the Fiddler Went, The Miner 1921. His performances are Hogmanay, The Shillin-a-Week Man; both plays raised money to feed the miners during the General Strike.
He died on 13 Nov 1968 in Edinburgh his name is remembered in the corrie centre at Cardenden.
Meaning of the Gath:-
According to Collins Dictionary,
Old Testament
one of the five cities of the Philistines, from which Goliath came (I Samuel 17:4) and near which Saul fell in battle (II Samuel 1:20)
Philistines means:-
If you call someone a philistine, you mean that they do not care about or understand good art, music, or literature, and do not think that they are important.
Spiritual Meaning of Gath:-
A group of thoughts in the consciousness of man that believe in trial and look upon all experiences from the standpoint of seeming trial and suffering.
Trial meaning is the process in court of law where a judge listens to evidence and decides if somebody is guilty of a crime or not.
In the play Joe Corrie tells the story of Christian man who believes that the Christianity faith make a good man in the society but in the play mining people come and make atmosphere is bad to play a gambling of football coupon that why the all churchwarden come to the rectory and to discuss the problem of gambling. But in play it shows the other side of people that actually the gambling activities are not done only for mining people but also connected with the high reputed people. They won twenty thousand pounds for a football coupon at a time when they were not guilty of their crime. That is why the corrie says that the Tell It Not in Gath.
Settings of the Play:-
Tell It Not in Gath as a comedy play. Joe Corrie's short play. The play started in the small room where Arther Wesley and Marjory sit. The Scene setting as a room of the rectory at little Padley. It is a larger room, with typical but rather shabby furniture. In a room set on an oblong table, a sheet of record books, dark table cloth, inkstand, blotter bookcase is like a small bureau where Arther sits doing the works of Church.
In the fireplace there is a sofa, small table, bookstande and on the wall dimd the pictures of the parents of the Rev. Arthur Wesley. In the picture Arthur's father is depicted as on elderly bearded man in clerical garb. And his mother was portrayed as an elderly woman with greying hair and resigned expression.
Tell It Not in Gath Characters:-
Rev. Arthur Wesley:-
He was a man of nearly sixty. He was reactor of little padley Church. He worked to convert sinners to the Christian faith in the right proper way. He is ready to meet mining people and make a friend. He changes their bad habits and changes their hearts. He was a busy man his whole time in seeing the church and doing the work of church things. No time to waste all other things which are not connected to the Church. When play Started at that time he was an unhappy and discontented face because of things abouts the mining people who come and stay in the surrounding of Church and their doing a bad atmosphere because of their gambling habits . His biggest problem was to find a solution and how to stop. He asked other charchearden to discuss this problem and find a solution. In this play Arthur Wesley presented a vital role.
Marjory:-
Marjory presented the vital role in the play. She was the wife of Arthur Wesley. She is a few years younger than her husband. She lived in Little Padley Church. She crafts Knitting and sells her craft in Church Bazaar.
Miss Oliver:-
She was a slim spinster unmarried girl of thirty five years. She is also a member of the Church and she comes to the reactor to discuss the gambling problem of the Church. Wearing a homemade woollen dress. She feels peace when she comes to the rectory.
Miss Crundle:-
Miss Crundle was a stouter and ruddier lady. She wears a tweed costume, collar, tie and brogue shoes in the meeting. When she comes to the rectory feels blessed and calm. She put on a badminton tournament and joined the meeting at the rectory to find the solution of gambling.
Joseph Devinish:-
He was a dapper little man of fifty five years. He joined a meeting at the rectory. He was wearing a wing collar and bow tie with his smart suit. He sings in the choir and at local concerts. He always brings down the houses with 'Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes'. He was a businessman. He does choir practise every Sunday and sings in a choir in Church.
Sam Marden:-
Sam Marden was a hypocritical man in the play. He played a vital role in the play. When met, arrange in the rectory at times his appearance shows as a showcased man. He is dressed in heavy clothes with a stout gold watch chain. His trousers are rather baggy and his boots so heavy. He was a grocer man but might be taken for a farmer. He presented as an air of being the most important person in the rectory. His motto is "Never Absent, Never Late" . He is always looking at his gold watch so he is a punctual man. He was a chairman of the community council, district council and also churchwarden of Pedley Church. In the play he introduces me as Sam Marden. At the end of the play he won the twenty thousand pounds in football coupon. This news given by marjory at that time he became so hypocritical as to say that I give to church in one thousand pounds but one condition is that at times Arthur announced to the press that Sam Marden gave the thousand pounds for the welfare of the Church. He says that, "God works in a mysterious way his wonders to perform" here Sam Marden thinks that he was the most fortunate man in the world.
About the Play:-
Tell It Not In Gath short or comedy play by Joe Corrie. The play started with Arthur sitting in an armchair and reading a book. He is a man of nearly sixty with an unhappy and discontented face. His wife Marjory sits on the safe. She works as a knitter. She is some years younger than her husband. A few moments later Arthur heard the sound of the clock striking the hour seven. He talked on the telephone to arrange the meeting in the rectory. Marjory refused to not arrange the meeting here without her knowing. First to ask her to arrange the meeting here not without informing Arthur not to arrange a meeting in the rectory.
At that time both make some arguments with their right or reputation in the society. Marjory refused to talk about the rectory life she lived in the rectory. Marjory tells Arthur that she spent all the time cleaning the rector. She says that she cannot afford a searvet to help her. Arthur can afford to have a gardener. Arthur says that if people saw me doing gardening what they think about me. Marjory also gives what people think about when she worked as a housekeeper. This type of conversion happens then Arthur tells that holding a meeting with some of his chief parishioners to discuss the rampant betting now on amongst the mining families in the area. The meeting agenda is to discuss the scourge of gambling which has contaminated the villages in the coming of these miners.
Sam Marden, Miss Oliver, Miss Crundle, and Joseph Devinish all come to the rectory. All are members of the Padley Church and also a churchwarden. First they meet each other and greet everyone. Marjory asked one by one and did their formal greeting. Arthur tells the marjory to sit in another room then the meeting starts. All are sitting at a round table. Arthur started to meet with a formal tone to speak on behalf of the community council about this gambling. Marden first admired the place because the area became a business centre. They make more development here than miner people come and do such work here. A new coal mine was sunk at the bottom of padley hill and a new house was built for the four hundred miners who lived beside us. It makes them proud. But the big problem is their habit of gambling. Sam also says that the miner and their wives and their families use it as a place of betting on things called football coupons. This thing makes a bad atmosphere for Christianity and over faith. That is why we found some solution to stop the gambling in Little Padley Church and the atmosphere became peaceful and calm. Marden says that gambling is dangerous as well as serious and it's our duty as members of this church and churchwarden to put a stop to its root and branch.
Joseph Devinish gave suggestions that he read in a newspaper that to stop gambling at means to take action against these people and be arrested for such a thing like gambling. When the police report to the police they take action of this kind of activity. But the first question happened to who made a complaint against the miners or their bad habits of gambling. All tells that Sam Marden is the best person to write a complaint against the gambling but he ignored that he did not become an opponent of miner people because he made a complaint at that time this effect happer in his business he lost his business.
Sam Marden tells that the Arthur Wesley is best person to write complaint against the miners because he not lost anything because he works also surrounding of the Church that why is best person to make report against the miners. But Arthur gives the appropriate answer that the people trying to make friends with new mining people may persuade them to come to church. Make root to believe in Christian faith and I am the person to give the right way of their life. They forget their sin and become a purest soul. When Arther makes a complaint to the police gambling activities, will they not respect it?
At the biggest argument at time marjory comes to the room disturbing the members. But she says that Sam Marden's wife called her and tells the good news that Sam Marden won twenty thousand pounds on football coupons. This news was given by Old John who is the Sexton. This news hered at times Marden did not believe that he won the twenty thousand pounds in football coupons but he was so excited to become the richest person in Padley Church. His nature of hypocrisy was showing that to Arthur that "a man who with twenty thousand pounds in bank they can do anything, say anything and care nothing for anybody" all members of church who angry for this kind of activity done by Sam Marden and actually is very shameful things for every body who is churchwarden. Miss Crundle announces that mr. Marden was a horrible man.
At times Sam Marden is ready to give a one thousand pounds for welfare of the church but makes a one condition that is to announce in means reported in the press and tells that Sam Marden wants to leave little Padley with the folk blessing for his generosity. All the members are angry and tell Sam Marden to go to the rectory. All members do not think about this further and they think that to stop the meeting here because they can't get any solutions to stop the roots or branch of the gambling.
All have stopped meeting and going home without finding any solutions. Meeting ended in the unhappiest way. They all say goodnight and leave the rectory. End of the play changed the scene. Climax happens. Marjory comes to tell Arthur that she made a mistake to tell the truth. Sam Marden did not win the twenty thousand pounds in football coupons but actually I won this lottery. I tell the old John to fill the lottery coupons. We are lucky to win the twenty thousand pounds in football coupons and we have lived freely and far from the Little Padley Church. Marjory is so happy to win the twenty thousand pounds and here the play ends with another climax.
Start of the play we see the unhappy faces of Arthur Wesley and his wife but in the play we see that the unhappy faces became happy faces at the end of the play. Joe Corrie makes some satirical form within the comedy scene. He portrays the social problem of gambling, money is the biggest thing for everyone's lives, money gives the happiness of our life but actually the question is whether money gives the happiness of life or not? Joe Corrie presented the situation of Miner people who find the employee of the development area and they come to stay there. But how we think about miners who are always connected with bad habits and we try to purify them. This is all thought told by the superior people. Superior people always think that miners learn moral and good things which are made by well suited and highly reputed people and convert sinners into good souls and purify them. All the things Joe Corrie's presented in the comedy play Tell It Not In Gath. This play is short and very interesting dialogue makes a good impact and is easy to understand.
Important Quotations Of The Play:-
"I am the Rector and my word must be Law"
-Arthur Wesley
"I do a lot for you, and your Church "
-Marjory
"I do all the drudgery (પરિશ્રમ) of this big house and spend half my time on cold stone floors"
-Marjory
"God works in a mysterious way his wonders to perform"
-Sam Marden
"It seems that it's always those who don't deserve good fortune that get it"
-Miss Crundle
"They Way of the person is hard, where is the hope? Where can one find real faith?"
-Rev. Arthur Wesley
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I am writing this blog as part of academic study the short story by famous American writer, editor and literary critic Edgar Allan Poe's famous mysterious story "The Black Cat".
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.
-Edgar Allan Poe
Introduction:-
"The Black Cat," one of Edgar Allan Poe's most memorable stories, is a classic example of the gothic literature genre that debuted in the Saturday Evening Post on August 19, 1843. Written in the form of a first-person narrative, Poe employed multiple themes of insanity, superstition, and alcoholism to impart a palpable sense of horror and foreboding to this tale, while at the same time, deftly advancing his plot and building his characters. It's no surprise that "The Black Cat" is often linked with "The Tell-Tale Heart," since both of Poe's stories share several disturbing plot devices including murder and damning messages from the grave—real or imagined.
About Author:-
Edgar Allan Poe, (born Jan. 19, 1809, Boston, Mass., U.S.—died Oct. 7, 1849, Baltimore, Md.), U.S. poet, critic, and short-story writer. Poe was raised by foster parents in Richmond, Va., following his mother’s death in 1811. He briefly attended the University of Virginia and then returned to Boston, where in 1827 he published a pamphlet of youthful, Byronic poems. By 1835 he was in Richmond as editor of the Southern Literary Messenger, the first of several periodicals he was to edit or write for. There he married a 13-year-old cousin, who died in 1847. At various times he lived in Baltimore, New York, and Philadelphia. Alcohol, the bane of his irregular and eccentric life, caused his death at age 40. His works are famous for his cultivation of mystery and the macabre. Among his tales are “Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Masque of the Red Death,” “The Black Cat,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “The Pit and the Pendulum.” “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” and “The Purloined Letter” initiated the modern detective story. His poems (less highly regarded now than formerly) are musical and sensuous, as in “The Bells,” a showcase of sound effects; they include touching lyrics inspired by women (e.g., “Annabel Lee”) and the uncanny (e.g., “The Raven”).
Characters of the short story:-
Unnamed Narrator:-
The narrator is another of Poe’s unnamed and unreliable men driven to madness. All we really know about him—if his word can be trusted, that is—is that he has enjoyed a lifetime love of animals and that the animals have reciprocated this love. The narrator does make clear what it is about animals that inspires in him a higher level of love and respect: he particularly admires their loyalty and perception. In other words, if an animal remains loyal to you, you must be a good person—which should bring into question the character of any person whose pet begins to exhibit disloyal behavior.
The Narrator's Wife:-
Not much information is provided about the narrator’s wife other than that she shares his love of animals. We do learn that she might be more superstitious than he is since she is fond of mentioning the belief that cats and witches are inextricably linked. Of course, this information arrives courtesy of a narrator that is not entirely trustworthy, and even he is careful to assert that just because she mentions this superstition, doesn’t necessarily mean she believes it. Ultimately, it is the narrator that seems to possess a deeper belief in supernatural explanations. One thing is for certain: the wife is willing to intrude on behalf of animals when in danger, even if that danger is her husband.
Pluto:-
Pluto is the black cat that joins the goldfish, rabbit, dog, birds, and monkey in the menagerie of pets that the narrator and his wife invite into their home. The close bond between cat and owner (i.e. the narrator) even manages to initially shield the cat from the abusive effects of the owner—effects that were already affecting the man's relationship with his other pets and his wife. The passage of time and the rise of addiction tolerance eventually takes their toll, however, resulting in Pluto first losing an eye at the narrator’s hand before losing his life at the end of a noose.
The Second Black Cat:-
Following rather quickly upon the death of Pluto and an unexplained fire that destroys the narrator’s home, a second black cat enters the narrative. This cat remains nameless, like the narrator. It is almost identical to Pluto, right down to having only one eye, but it has one distinguishing difference: a patch of white fur covering almost its entire breast. The lack of an actual name indicates the emotionless connection between it and the narrator that claims to be such an animal lover: despite a seemingly strong desire by the cat for them to become best friends, the narrator is utterly repulsed by the cat, to the eventual point of attempted murder.
The Police:-
The police arrive to investigate the disappearance of the narrator's wife. They catalyze the mad narrator's hubris, which leads him to inadvertently give away the murder he has continued.
Plots overview of The Black Cat:-
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author of the 19th century, famous for his work in the mystery genre. “The Black Cat” is one of his mystery short stories, written in 1843. It is a story about a frightened man who is also the narrator of the story. He is a loving person and His family owns a cat, a black one. Its name is Pluto and it becomes a good friend of the narrator. Even if people around him said that black cat is evil, Pluto is his favourite. Then Slowly the narrator‟s attitude is changed by alcohol. He becomes more emotional than before; He sometimes hits his wife; he even hits Pluto. One night, he comes back home drunk and Pluto bites him. He is so blinded by the drink he cuts one of the animal‟s eyes. Since then Pluto does not come near him again and it makes him sad, and then angry. The next thing he does is hang Pluto by its neck on a tree until it is dead. That night his house is on fire and he is lucky to be able to escape from the building. The next morning, in the remains of the building, there is a new plaster of wall standing in the centre of the ruins and on its surface There is a black shape similar to a cat. It is not supposed to be there since he hung the cat in the tree in the garden.
Months later, he misses Pluto and tries to find a new one similar to it. One night he finds a cat very similar to Pluto; this cat was suddenly showed up out of nowhere, except for the white hair on the front of its body. It comes home with him and it becomes a very good friend to his wife. The next morning he realised that this cat also lost one of his eyes like Pluto. Soon enough, he hates the animal, and keeps away from it so as not to hurt it like he did with Pluto. The cat follows the narrator everywhere and he wants to kill him but he is too afraid to do that. Slowly, the shape of the white hair on the cat‟s front body changes into the shape of gallows. The narrator becomes more and more uneasy about this cat; he has a terrible dream and finds the cat sitting next to his face and pressing down on his heart. He is now a very bad man who only has evil thoughts and hates everyone. One day, on his way to cut a log, the cat almost trips him; he suddenly wants to kill it but his wife stops him. He is very angry at his wife so he hit his wife‟s head with the axe. However, he has to bury her body but he is afraid his neighbours will find it. So he buries her in the new plaster of the wall. When he finishes he realises that the cat is not there anymore. For some time, he feels calm. On the fourth day, a group of police come to his house; he brags about his strong new wall and knocks on it. A voice, like a child‟s cry, replies to the knock and it is followed by a long scream. The Police hurry to break down the wall. When the wall is opened, there is a cat screaming, standing on his wife‟s head. Its evil voice sends the narrator to his death.
Setting:-
''The Black Cat'' is set in an ambiguous time period implied to be approximately contemporary with when the story was written. It takes place over the course of a few months. ''The Black Cat'' setting starts in the protagonist's jail cell where he is awaiting his execution the following day. He then takes the readers on a journey back to his old house. The first part of the story, where Pluto features, is set primarily in the narrator's house. When that house burns down, he and his wife find a new place to live. The second part of the story, set a few months after the fire, takes place in the narrator's new house. These events take several years but the narrator recounts all incidents in only one day.
Symbols:-
Symbols are a key component of Poe's dark tale, particularly the following ones.
The black cat:
More than just the title character, the black cat is also an important symbol. Like the bad omen of legend, the narrator believes Pluto and his successor have led him down the path toward insanity and immorality.
Alcohol:
While the narrator begins to view the black cat as an outward manifestation of everything the narrator views as evil and unholy, blaming the animal for all his woes, it is his addiction to drinking, more than anything else, that seems to be the true reason for the narrator's mental decline.
House and home:
"Home sweet home" is supposed to be a place of safety and security, however, in this story, it becomes a dark and tragic place of madness and murder. The narrator kills his favorite pet, tries to kill its replacement, and goes on to kill his own wife. Even the relationships that should have been the central focus of his healthy and happy home fall victim to his deteriorating mental state.
Prison:
When the story opens, the narrator is physically in prison, however, his mind was already imprisoned by the shackles of madness, paranoia, and alcohol-induced delusions long before he was apprehended for his crimes.
The wife:
The wife could have been a grounding force in the narrator's life. He describes her as having "that humanity of feeling." Rather than saving him, or at least escaping with her own life, she becomes a horrible example of innocence betrayed. Loyal, faithful, and kind, she never leaves her husband no matter how low he sinks into the depths of depravity. Instead, it is he who is in a sense unfaithful to his marriage vows. His mistress, however, is not another woman, but rather his obsession with drinking and the inner demons his drinking unleashes as symbolically personified by the black cat. He forsakes the woman he loves—and eventually kills her because he can't break the hold of his destructive obsession.
Major Themes:-
Love and hate are two key themes in the story. The narrator at first loves his pets and his wife, but as madness takes hold of him, he comes to loathe or dismiss everything that should be of the utmost importance to him. Other major themes include:
Justice and Truth:-
The narrator tries to hide the truth by walling up his wife's body but the voice of the black cat helps bring him to justice.
Superstition:-
The black cat is an omen of bad luck, a theme that runs throughout literature.
Murder and Death:-
Death is the central focus of the entire story. The question is what causes the narrator to become a killer.
Illusion versus Reality:-
Does the alcohol release the narrator's inner demons, or is it merely an excuse for his horrendous acts of violence? Is the black cat merely a cat, or something embued with a greater power to bring about justice or exact revenge?
Loyalty Perverted:-
A pet is often seen as a loyal and faithful partner in life but the escalating hallucinations the narrator experiences propel him into murderous rages, first with Pluto and then with the cat the replaces him. The pets he once held in highest affection become the thing he most loathes. As the man's sanity unravels, his wife, whom he also purports to love, becomes someone who merely inhabits his home rather than shares his life. She ceases to be a real person, and when she does, she is expendable. When she dies, rather than feel the horror of killing someone he cares for, the man's first response is to hide the evidence of his crime.
Man’s Descent into Insanity:-
In "The Black Cat," the narrator was aware that his thoughts and actions were transforming into a downward spiral. He was aware of his increased irritability, his disregard of the feelings of others, and the unreasonable violent actions he carried out towards his wife. He was even aware that his favorite pet and playmate, Pluto, was falling victim to the ill-effects brought by alcoholism onto the narrator. However, for reasons that remain inscrutable to the reader, he continues his descent into moral degeneration. Is he affected with "perverseness"? Is it a result of the alcohol? Does he not know what he is doing?
The ill-effects of Alcoholism:-
In this story, the narrator describes to the readers the effects of the “Fiend Intemperance." It was due to the increased intake of alcohol that the narrator experienced a radical alteration for the worse. He became more irritable, cared little for the feelings of others, and often used intemperate language with his wife—not to mention the violent acts he committed towards her. He abused the rabbits, the dogs, the monkey, and even his favorite pet, Pluto. We do not know why he was driven to drink, and being drunk did not explain all of his evil deeds—but alcohol certainly exacerbated his behavior and helped him stray further from a unified self.
Supernatural Beliefs:-
The theme of supernatural elements pervades this story. The title itself suggests supernatural elements, for there are various superstitions regarding the bad luck that a black cat allegedly brings. In this story, the narrator kills his pet—Pluto, a black cat—by hanging him from a tree branch. After the murder of the black cat, bad luck followed the narrator. His house burned down, only one wall remained, and that wall had an impression of the black cat with a rope about the animal’s neck. A few days later, another black cat appeared in front of the narrator. This cat looked exactly like Pluto except it had a patch of white fur at the bosom, which later represented the "gallows." The events that followed the hanging of Pluto can be attributed to supernatural explanations, for it is a common belief that a black cat brings bad luck.
Guilt:-
The narrator's guilt is what brought the black cat back to haunt him. The cat represents his guilt: as the narrator became more guilty, the cat became more realistic. For example, the only time the cat was heard was when the police were searching the narrator's house, at which point his guilt and fear finally pushed him into full madness. The narrative shows that guilt is a key factor in man's descent into madness—yet also a vital part of what keeps us human.
The Divided Self:-
The narrator experiences a fragmented, divided self. This is apparent not only in the dichotomy between the man telling the tale and the man committing the acts in the tale, but also in terms of nearly all of his actions once his "perverseness" set in. He vacillated between sanity and insanity, between fear and horror of the cat and the impulse to act. He had nightmares, drunken stupors, and paroxysms of rage and despair. He killed his cat and then desired another one; he felt poorly for his long-suffering wife but murdered her without a thought. The only bliss and peace he had were when he completely lost himself after killing his wife and walling up the cat in the tomb.
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Work Citation:-
Barzun, Jacques , Cestre, Charles and Mabbott, Thomas Ollive. "Edgar Allan Poe". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Nov. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edgar-Allan-Poe. Accessed 20 December 2023.
Lombardi, Esther. ""The Black Cat" Study Guide." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/the-black-cat-themes-and-symbols-738847.
Osborne-Bartucca, Kristen. Suduiko, Aaron ed. "The Black Cat Themes". GradeSaver, 12 March 2019 Web. 20 December 2023.https://www.gradesaver.com/the-black-cat/study-guide/themes
Poe, Edgar Allan, and Jose Menendez. Elegant Ebooks . 1843, www.ibiblio.org/ebooks/Poe/Black_Cat.pdf.
