“The Black Cat” (1843), a classic tale of terror by Poe, has been described as combining “several themes that fascinated” the author, including “perversity”, “retribution”, and “reincarnation” (

3:847). It was first published in the Philadelphian

(known briefly at that time as the

) in August of 1843; reprints followed a few years later in Boston’s

in November of 1848, with a French translation done by Isabelle Meunier appearing in January of 1847 in

, and even a parody being published already in early 1844, written by Thomas Dunn English and called “The Ghost of a Grey Tadpole” (

3:849). Poe’s tale is an anonymous narrator’s recounting, from a…

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Citation: Sucur, Slobodan. "The Black Cat". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 07 January 2014 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=1445, accessed 26 November 2024.]