The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Poe - Analysis Essay Sample

Introduction

Edgar Poe was born in Boston Massachusetts in 1809. He was a poet, writer, and editor during the peak of his career. His tales of horror led to the rise of modern detective stories and a number of his works including The Fall of the House of Usher are considered literary classics of the time (Biography.com, 2016). Poe is rated among America's most renowned writers. His works remain a force to reckon with. Poe is not just an innovative thinker, but very imaginative. He created stories and poems which intrigue present-day readers. The Pit and the Pendulum is a perfect case in point.

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The Pit and the Pendulum Plot

To start with the answering on the question what is The Pit and the Pendulum about, the unnamed narrator in The Pit and the Pendulum is tried before judges of the Spanish Inquisition. He faints after getting a death sentence. The narrator wakes to find himself in a dark room which is a cell. He decides to explore the place but faints in the process. When he regains consciousness, he notices food and water around. He tries to determine the size of the cell and discovers that the perimeter is a hundred steps. He trips on the edge of his robe and falls as he crosses the room, his chin hitting the edge of a pit. If he had not tripped, perhaps he could have fallen into the pit. The narrator loses consciousness again and notices that the prison is illuminated. He is also trapped in a wooden frame facing the ceiling. On top of him is a picture of Father Time. Moreover, there is a pendulum suspended from the picture. The pendulum is made to kill the narrator in the end. However, he attracts rats by using meat to smear his bonds. The rats eat up the straps and the narrator is freed before the pendulum slices into his chest. The narrator hears voices and trumpets. He is pulled to safety after the walls retract. The French army recaptured Toledo.

Main Characters

One is the narrator who is the unnamed person talking about the torture he received from Spanish Inquisition. The second character is General Lasalle. He is the French commander who rescued the narrator. The last characters are the inquisitors who were the judges.

Setting

Speaking about The Pit and the Pendulum setting, the event occurred in the City of Toledo situated in central Spain. The Romans conquered this site and named the settlement Toletum which is the origin of Toledo. Toletum implied raised high given that the settlements were situated on a higher ground. Toletum became a major cultural center and was renowned for this knowledge and abilities with which its artisans made swords.

Type of Narrative

This piece of work is a short story talking about the horrors of experiencing torture. The story was completed in 1842 and was published the following year. Poe wrote the piece from the first-person viewpoint.

Conflicts

The main conflict in this story is that of man against man. The narrator is at the mercy of another group of men. The conflict can also be said to be that of man against society. Furthermore, the conflict is that of man against self. The narrator has to stare at the pendulum meant to kill him while it moves close to his heart.

Climax

The Pit and the Pendulum climax takes place when the walls close on the narrator. They then retract and a hand reaches out to help him from falling into the pit.

Stylistic Devices Used by the Author

There are different stylistic devices used in the story. One is word choice. Poe makes every word impact the overall effect. The story also uses alliteration. This is a figure of speech where a consonant is repeated. For example, they appeared to me whitewhiter than the sheet upon which I trace these words. The author also uses anaphora which is a figure of speech where a word is repeated at the start of a clause. Anaphora provides emphasis. For example, I saw that the decrees of what to me was Fate, were still issuing from those lips. I saw them writhe with a deadly locution.

Why the Story Is Representative of the Horror Genre

The story is representative of a horror genre as there are events that instill fear among the readers. The ordeal the narrator goes through before he is finally rescued would make one jump out of his skin.

Your Opinion on the Story/Author

In summary, I believe that the author has a rare talent of bringing our nightmare to the surface. From my point of view, this story is used to portray the dark and gloomy picture we have in our minds that depicts The Pit and the Pendulum mood. The author did this on purpose to allow the reader to establish a connection between darkness and death. In this story, the setting is completely dark from the onset. However, it begins to unfold. Although the narrator must only use his senses to feel the surrounding, deep in his heart, he knows that death awaits him somewhere in the dark room.

References

Biography.com. (2016). Edgar Allan Poe. Retrieved from

http://www.biography.com/people/edgar-allan-poe-9443160#synopsisThe Pit and the Pendulum. Retrieved from http://poestories.com/read/pit