Ø Poe constructed this story in such a way that the events of the tale remain somewhat ambiguous. As the narrator begins to recount the occurrences that "...have terrified--have tortured--have destroyed [him]," he reminds the reader that maybe "...some intellect more calm, more logical, and far less excitable than [his] own," will perceive "...nothing more than an ordinary succession of very natural causes and effects." Ø As the narrator begins to tell his story (flashback), the reader …showed first 75 words of 570 total…

…showed last 75 words of 570 total…retribution. Ø "'The Black Cat' is a story of 'orthodox' witchcraft Ø ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography** Levine, Stuart and Susan, editors. The Short Fiction of Edgar Allan Poe: An Annotated Edition. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1990. Quinn, Arthur Hobson. Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography. New York: D. Appleton-Century Company, 1941. Silverman, Kenneth. Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-Ending Remembrance. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1991. The United States in Literature: "All My Sons" Edition. Glenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1973.