The narrator cleverly with holds information from the reader. He knows he will die at the hands of a hangman and his is final punishment.
The Cask of Amontillado
The narrator of the Cask of Amontillado is also presented in the first person voice. How this narrative differs from the Black Cat is this narrator has more interaction and dialogue with his obsession. Much of the story takes place in the interaction and not in description. There is less poetry in the prose but still a tone of suspense. The set-up is realistic and not fanciful as before. It is not clear exactly what sex or age the narrator is but one can assume from the dialogue the narrator is male and upper class European. He refers to his friend as part of a brotherhood,...
Still the narrator is quite mad also but in a different way. He is blinded by revenge and obsession with his friend. His type of madness is based more on realistic human emotion than ghosts or demons. This element sets him apart from the narrator of the Black Cat. His type of madness seems logical.
Conclusion
Narrative style can make or break a story. If a reader does not enjoy or belief the person telling the story, it is likely the reader can lose interest and emotional attachment. Poe works at captivating his audience by using the first person. This paper has looked at the narrators of Poe's the Black Cat and the Cask of Amontillado only to discover they are very much alike.
