Use of the Single Effect in A Cask of Amontillado Essay -- Cask Amonti

Use of the Single effectuate in A bbl of Amontillado  Edgar Allan Poes A barrel of Amontillado is perhaps the most famous narrative of terror ever written. Montresor, the storys narrator, leads the reader through his revenge on Fortunato. Montresor entices Fortunato into the dark recesses of the family catacombs with the promise of a very fine wine. At the climax of the story, Montresor shackles Fortunato to a wall and seals him by forever behind brick and mortar. In all of Poes short stories he attempts to stockpile a certain unique or single effect. A Cask of Amontillado expresses its dark view of human intention by using elements of irony, foreshadowing, and metaphor. The rootage person point of view also lends itself to an exploration of the inner secrets of Montresor. The major theme in the story is the deep hatred buried within the outwardly congenial Montresor. This makes it vital that the story be told with Montresors thoughts known to the reader. The tale simp ly would not work if it were told from Fortunatos point of view, or from a prominent/objective angle. An omniscient view would function, but by knowing exactly Montresors thoughts the reader develops a trust in him, and this causes the storys theme to have a more personal effect on the reader. A Cask of Amontillado is meet with dry statements and situations. Fortunatos very name is ironic given his horrific fate. At the beginning of the story, when Montresor divulges his theories on proper revenge, he says, A wrong is unredressed when retibution overtakes its redresser. This is ironic (and a bit amusing) as Montresor is utterly consumed by his hatred of Fortunato. Then, during their origin into the catacombs, Montresor tries several times to con... ...ontresors sociable facade, then the catacombs below symbolize the hatred within him. Poe gives explicit descriptions fo the foul caverns. They are insufferably damp . . . gruff with nitre. The founess of the air nearly extingui shes their torches. Poe describes the white web-work which gleams from these cavern walls. Clearly Poes desired efect is to expose the evil that consumes from within. Each of the literary devices used in A Cask of Amontillado serves to reinforce Poes single effect. As Poe himself says in The Importance of the Single Effect in a Prose Tale, an author invents such incidents--he then combines such events as may best aid him in establishing this preconceived effect. The use of the number 1 person perspective along with some irony, foreshadowing, and metaphor aid the lurch of Poes single effect in A Cask of Amontillado.