Nicholas Lumpkin ENC 1102 Mrs.

Jacobs April 7, 2014

The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe Annotated Bibliography

"Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)." Short Story Criticism. Ed. Jelena Krstovic. Vol. 111. Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2008. 125-249. Literature Criticism Online. Gale. . 17 April 2014

This Short Story Criticism by Jelena Krstovic gives a background to Edgar Allan Poe early poetry and story writing. This also evaluates the psychology of why he writes he way he does. This criticism also gives the background of Edgars early life who was born in Boston Massachusetts, son of David and Elizabeth Poe. His father deserted him and his two siblings, while they lost their mother to the over consumption of alcohol. John and Frances Allan took Edgar in, and they put him into a private academy. As Edgar entered adolescence however, he developed a bad relationship with John Allan. Edgar eventually dropped out of school due to the fact that he could no longer afford it. This took a heavy hit on him so he turned to drinking. Having no place to go Edgar joined the military where he worked up the ranks to major. He eventually found his niche in New York City becoming a news paper editor, then becoming a poet and story writer.

This was my most used source due to the fact that it compacts the most amount of information into a short story criticism, without a lot of the filler. The author gives a direct connection to where Edgar grew and his environment to what caused him to write the way he does with his horror undertone. She relates a lot of early life experiences to dramatize Edgar into stumbling him into deep depression which she notes that he actually never got out of that depression while still being in the military, as the author notes, creating great psychological harm to the young Edgar Allan Poe.

Baraban, Elena V. "The Motive for Murder in 'The Cask of Amontillado'." Rocky Mountain Review 58.2 (Fall 2004): 47-62. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Vol. 111. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

The Cask of Amontillado is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe surrounded in murder and hate. But this story has a deeper meaning than just the murder in itself. Understanding the murder one will have to understand why Montresor did it in the first place. Poe impels the reader to become the detective themselves because Poe wrote this short story in such a way that their is no direct audience, however some would believe its Montresors wife. This view of the audience is unique to Poe and his overall writing style.

Elena Barabans review and criticism gives a deeper understanding for me of the story. For example she writes about how Poe directly inputs the audience into the story and how they are

almost important for the story to take place. They are apart of the story to where Montresor talks to the audience and reader. This was useful in my research project because she help go deeper into the story than just the words they are written in. Helping me understand that the murder wasn't in cold blood but there was a purpose, a meaning, to why Montresor needed to do such a crime when he isn't a criminal.

Delaney, Bill. Poes The Cask of Amontillado. The Explicator 64.1 (2005): 33+ Literature Resource Center. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

For Montresors horrid crime, can not be undone. The pity Montresor has for Fortunato and his grim satisfaction is shared with the reader. However it is impossible for Montresor to undo what he did, leaving the story with an open ending to where it is implied to the reader that Montresor met the point of insanity. Poe uses The Cask of Amontillado as an outlet for him emotions, through depression he writes almost a day dream onto paper and creating such work. Through the use of symbolism Poe creates his self as Montresor and his perfect murder.

In this short criticism, John Le Carre similar to Elena Barabans criticism, writes about the connection of the characters in the story to the reader. Giving a purpose for the author and not leaving them as a person viewing the story from a 3rd person point of view, but actually being inside the story with Montresor. He writes that Poe wants the reader to feel what Montresor feels. Pain, revenge, pity, remorse are all feelings that Poe intertwines the reader to Montresor. After connecting Montresor to the audience, Poe wants to create a emotional break to the story John Le

Carre writes that the break between us and Montresor can be a break of a new friendship or a break of enemies, depending on who the audience is.

Crichton, Michael. "Premature Burial." The Practical Stylist with Readings and Handbook. 8th ed. Ed. Sheridan Baker. New York: Longman, 1998.

Hoffman, Daniel. Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe. New York: Avon, 1972.

Kennedy, J. Gerald. Poe, Death, and the Life of Writing. New Haven: Yale UP, 1987.

Mabbott, Thomas Ollive, ed. Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe. Vol. 3. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1978.

May, Charles. Critical Survey of Short Fiction: Authors and Essays (1840-1880). Vol. 7 (1993). May is one of several critics who has interpreted Montresor's family code of arms in this paradoxical way.

Spierenburg, Pieter. The Spectacle of Suffering. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1984.

van Dulmen, Richard. "Rituals of Execution in Early Modern German." The Social Dimension of Western Civilization. 4th ed. Ed. Richard M. Golden. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 1999.

This short story criticism takes a look at the psychological fear of the characters in the story, both Montresor and Fortunato. This collection of reviews of the short story views objects and settings in The Cask of Amontillado. This gave me the understanding of the catacombs and their importance of it in this particular story. How everything was staged by Montresor and how he planned the entire murder out. The response of this criticism writes about how an imperfect murderer becomes a perfect one. Creating the bridge of Montresor to Edgar Allan Poe.

Poe, Edgar. The Cask of Amontillado. The Norton Introduction to Literature. 11th Ed. Kelly j. Mays. Ney York W.w Norton and Company, Inc., 2013. Print

The connection of Symbolism, Setting, Characterization are all clear in the story, The Cask of Amontillado. You have such connections as the Amontillado itself to its symbolic meaning of wealth, fortune, luck. To the connection of the characters names, for example Fortunato to the ironic symbolism of fortune or luck due to the fact of him being murdered. Poe uses multiple literary elements to portray this story in a way that is unique to Poe.