Tanner Cain 5th Period / Stiner Cluster #1 “The Cask of Amontillado”: Analyzing Short Stories and Novels: _plot: 1) In “The Cask of Amontillado”, the exposition is the part where Montresor is relating to the incidents from 50 years ago when he got his revenge against Fortunato. The rising action occurs whenever Montresor lures Fortunato away from the carnival and tricks him to go into the catacombs. The climax occurs whenever Montresor mentions Luchesi, and Fortunato calls him an ignoramus. Then, Montresor chains Fortunato up in the darkest depths of the catacombs.
The falling action occurs whenever Montresor is blocking Fortunato in the wall. The resolution occurs when Montresor finishes by saying that he murdered Fortunato and his body has remained within the bricked room for the past 50 years. 2) The complication in “The Cask of Amontillado” occurs whenever Montresor tries to lure Fortunato into the catacombs, but he does this by exciting Fortunato about the rare wine; the Amontillado. This builds suspense because Poe wants to audience to guess whether or not Fortunato will take the bait hidden in the discussion of the Amontillado, and; of course, he does. The complication puts Montresor’s plan into action. By luring Fortunato into the catacombs, he has him right where he wants him. The complications are very emotional and intellectual, because Montresor’s plan was very intricate and required quite some planning and charisma to lure Fortunato away from the carnival and into the catacombs. However, the emotional aspect yields to the state in which he committed these actions. It was out of an angered state of mind, because Montresor wanted revenge because of the way Fortunato wronged him.
The main conflict is more between sharply differentiated good nd evil, because even though the narrator (Montresor) commits a heinous murder, he is still considered the “good guy’ because he is fighting against the wrong-doings committed by Fortunato, who in this case is considered the “bad guy’, even though Fortunato had no idea what was going on. It is also kind of hard to argue that point being Fortunato was raging drunk. 1) Montresor is the protagonist. Fortunato is the antagonist. 2) Montresor is an intelligent, proud, and relentless person obsessed with getting revenge in a cruel and unusual way.
Fortunato is insensitive, proud, and greedy drunk that trusts too much in thers, which leads to his demise. These characters are complex. We see complexity in Montresor by his ability to plan his revenge and use trickery to lure Fortunato into his trap. Fortunato’s complexity is found in his ability to insult others; in this case, Montresor; and by his foolish trust in others which ends up killing him. Both, Montresor and Fortunato would be considered examples of foil. 3) The characters are shown as foil in “The Cask of Amontillado”, because by the end of the story they seem to change places.
At the beginning, Fortunato is free and Montresor is trapped by revenge. Then, Montresor takes revenge by trapping Fortunato inside the catacombs, which gives him a sense of freedom. However, by the end of the story, Montresor realizes that what he did what horrific and he finds himself trapped again, but this time it is by guilt. – Literary Devices: 1) Some symbols in “The Cask of Amontillado” include Fortunato’s name which means “the fortunate one” in Italian. This is ironic device because in the end we see that Fortunato meets his demise and is not quite as fortunate as him name suggests. Another symbol is Fortunato’s Jester outfit.
The Jester was a fool that ings during the middle ages would exploit for entertainment. His outfit suggests that he is a fool, and we see that he is because he foolishly falls into Montresor’s trap. Another symbol is the coat of arms that represents Montresor’s family. The motto clearly states that “No one attacks me without punishment”. This symbolizes the revenge Montresor is going to take out on Fortunato. 2) Imagery is a big part of “The Cask of Amontillado”. For example, Poe uses the catacombs as a device of foreshadowing. The catacombs are dark & damp, they contain walls lined with skeletons, and it is very claustrophobic.
It isa crypt. This implies that the cellar is place of death which hints at the audience that something horrible is about to occur. Symbolism is also a big part of the story. For example, the coat of arms that represents Montresor’s family means that “No one attacks me with impunity’. This is a symbol of Montresor’s frame of mind. are several examples shown throughout the story. First, Fortunato’s name is Italian for “the fortunate one”. However, his demise is not so fortunate as his name suggests. Second, Fortunato’s costume is that of a court Jester. His festive carnival costume contrasts with his ghastly demise that awaits him.
Finally, in the end Montresor finds himself trapped in this state of guilt because of the revenge he took out on Fortunato. This ironic because revenge was trapping Montresor and he believed murdering Fortunato would set him free. However, he finds himself trapped yet again by guilt after the fact. 4) Poe’s style of writing includes irony and pun. Both of these are extremely prevalent in “The Cask of Amontillado”. Irony contributes to the overall spine tingling power of the story, as well as the true meaning of the symbols used to convey the true meaning behind Poe’s words. Theme: ) Revenge does not free emotions, it only traps them. 2) Montresor is the person who wants revenge. He believes that if he takes his revenge out on the person who hurt him, then his spirit will be free again. Fortunato is the person Montresor is going to take his revenge out on. He is a foolish drunk who believes nothing he says can hurt anybody. Therefore, he is very free-spirited. Montresor robs Fortunato of his free spirit by murdering him, because he believes that revenge will set his spirit free. However, he finds himself to stay trapped in guilt, Just as Fortunato is trapped in the catacombs. The structure of Montresor’s plan contributes to the effort he is willing to make to set himself free from pain. However, Montresor goes through all this work to rob Fortunato of his freedom only to find his spirit has still not been freed. 4) The setting of the catacombs conveys the evil and darkness of Montresor’s plan. This shows the overall heartlessness Montresor has in order to get what wants, and that is revenge. 5) Irony contributes to this theme presenting the question of whether or not Montresor is really free at the end, despite his belief that revenge will set hime free.
Allegory contributes to theme when speaking of the cask itself. The cask represents an undefined ideal. It is never seen but coveted by Fortunato, and it the thing that leads to his demise. he is Imagery contributes to the theme by helping to show the characteristics of the characters and the environment. This shows how Montresor (trickery) leads Fortunato (foolishness) into the darkness of the catacombs which also serves as a – General: 1)The setting is essential to this story. The Mason (Montresor) murders the free mason (Fortunato), by sealing him away in the wine cellar.
The murder makes his story dark & erie, and the fact that it is done in a wine cellar means no one will look for the body, so Montresor will get away with it. If the setting was happy and bright the mood and tone would be ruined, therefore ruining the affect of the story. 2) “The Cask of Amontillado” means a “barrel of an alcoholic beverage”. Montresor tells Fortunato he has a “pipe of what passes for Amontillado. ” In the story, “pipe” and “cask” mean the same thing. However, “cask” also means “casket. ” This is important because, though Fortunato seeks a Amontillado, he finds a “casket” of death. iterally “cask” of ) Poe creates a dark, morbid mood by the setting of the catacombs and the murderous actions taken by Montresor. 4) Poe creates a creepy tone by having Montresor describe the darkness and ghastly atmosphere of the crypt and catacombs. When you read it aloud, it does not sound pretty, and the way it moves makes it scarier. mfoung Goodman Brown”: – Analyzing Short Stories and Novels: _ plot: 1) The exposition occurs when the author reveals the main character, Goodman Brown, and begins to tell about how Brown is trying to find his way through life.
The rising action occurs when Goodman Brown leaves the village and enters he dark, possibly haunted forest and meets the devil in the form of this middle aged man. The climax occurs when Goodman Brown is at the altar with Faith to receive baptism from the devil, and urges her to “look to the heavens, and resist the evil one. ” The falling action occurs when Brown wakes up after he had been dreaming about the events that occurred in the forest. The conclusion occurs when Hawthorne Jumps years ahead to show the audience the type of person Young Goodman Brown has become.
He is always 2) The complication of mfoung Goodman Brown” occurs when Goodman Brown xperiences the freaky scenes after meeting the devil disguised as a middle aged man. This adds to the suspense because we see our protagonist start to give into these events despite not knowing who is truly behind the evil that he experiencing, and presents the question to the audience as to whether or not Brown will be able to overcome. 3) The complications manifest themselves into the conflict by making Goodman Brown choose whether he will overcome or not.
The true conflict lies within Brown himself, which is a moral battle. His inner turmoil, which is more subtle nd complex, is something he has to overcome and it does not help that the devil is placing him in all of these freaky scenarios. – Characters: 1) The protagonist is Young Goodman Brown. The antagonist is the devil and his followers that make up the freaky events. 2) Goodman Brown is a Puritan man who lives in Salem. He believes the people in town are good people until he sees many of them attending a witches’ sabbath. Faith is Good Man Brown’s wife.
The Devil is disguised as a Mysterious man who meets Goodman Brown in the forest and accompanies him part way to the witches’ sabbath, Brown is to be inducted into an evil brotherhood. where Faith is Goodman Brown’s foil in the story. However, at the beginning, she is innocent and as the story goes along Brown begins to turn evil. This leads to a change in heart inside of Goodman Brown. The devil acts as a guide or mentor to Goodman Brown. 3) Hawthorne shows these characters as foil by the change of heart that occurs in Goodman Brown.
In the beginning, Brown gives into the temptation that he experiences in the dark forest. However, when he sees Faith amidst the devil’s followers he take a complete 180 degree turn and begins to resist temptation. Hawthorne shows that the devil is a guide/mentor by the way he guides Brown through the dark forest. 1) The staff that the mysterious man carries has serpent carved into it which tips off the audience to the man’s true identity, which is the devil. happy character. However, when Goodman Brown sees the pink ribbons fallen from the sky in the woods this shows that Faith has given into the side of life. ave darker 2) Imagery plays a big part in mfoung Goodman Brown”. For example in the beginning of the story, Brown leaves Faith at sunset to go on a Journey that cannot wait. The images of sunset and the approach of darkness & nighttime llustrate to the audience a frightening picture of the unknown events that will come in the dark forest. Symbolism is another key part of the story because it hints to the reader that certain events are going to happen and also informs them about aspects of certain characters. For example, the serpent represents evil.
In the Bible, the serpent is one of the main identities of the devil. It Just so happens that the mysterious traveler in the woods carries a staff with a serpent carved into it. This informs the reader of the antagonist’s true identity – the devil. 3) Irony is found throughout the story. Some examples, include Faith’s name. The word “faith” is defined as “a strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof. ” This is very ironic because when Goodman Brown is in the woods he sees faith amongst the devil’s followers.
Another example of irony is found in Goodman Brown and the fact that he has no problem with talking to the devil in the woods, but he looks down on the townspeople when they speak to him also. Finally, at the end of the story, Goodman Brown begins to look at people differently in an attempt to keep imself spiritually full, but he actually ends up dying a spiritually deficient man. 4) Hawthorne has a tendency to write sentences that contain an over abundance of information. This creates strands of long, Jumbled sentences that you almost have to read twice if you do not pay attention the first time through.
Hawthorne uses this to demand attentive reading. 1) People are not always who they say they are. 2) Goodman Brown is a spiritual man who is Just starting his spiritual walk and believes the people in his town, who are spiritually strong, will help him on his walk. He is tempted by the devil in his Journey in the woods and falls away is spirituality. He also sees his fellow townspeople in the woods as well. leads him to believe that these people are hypocrites, because they plan attend the devil/witch service. Another person he sees is his wife, Faith.
At beginning of the story she wears pink ribbons to represent her purity, but from This to the when Brown sees her in the forest he sees that she has turned evil and her pink ribbons then fall from the sky. journey into the dark forest symbolizes him succumbing to temptation which causes his life to enter a downward spiral. He also begins to see people for who hey really are, but as he does this he becomes bitter towards them. This reveals to the reader that even though Goodman Brown finds that people are not as they always seem, he resembles his fellow townspeople as well. ) The setting of the work describes the inner darkness of Goodman Brown. Even though he seems like your typical Puritan of the time, he is troubled by past and seems to keep going back to his once faithless life. His past resembles the forest which is a dark place and that it is full of regret. 5) Allegory is present in the theme when speaking of the devil disguised as the mysterious traveler, the town, and the dark forest. The town stands for good, while the dark forest stands for evil.
The devil obviously stands for evil as well and adds to the overall evil that comes with the dark forest. Symbolism is used to describe the main characters and allows the reader to see their true character. For example, Hawthorne uses this to describe Brown a young man who leaves his world of innocence and realizes that evil is indeed very widespread and existent in his world. Imagery is important in bringing this devilish tale to life. Hawthorne creates an environment in which characters can roam freely and purposely, while keeping he historical backdrop of the Puritan landscape.
For example, Hawthorne uses adjectives such as “dreary’, “darkened”, and “gloomiest” help provoke mental pictures of 17th century Puritan life. 1) The two settings (the forest & town) represent good and evil. The town was a place where good, church-going people lived faithful and morally for God, while the forest was viewed as a place of evil since no structure existed there trees grew in all directions, animals ran wild, etc. ) so supposedly Satan existed in the wilderness and that is where they always went to do their rituals supposedly. ) The title mfoung Goodman Brown” is the name of the main character.
A “goodman” is also another name for a middle class Puritan man. Young Goodman Brown is a young but established man, he is neither at the top or bottom of society. The title tells us that this is going to be a story of newly- inducted, middle-class Puritan man. 3) Hawthorne creates a dark but serious mood by using vivid imagery to describe the evils that go within the forest and by using a devilish tone throughout the leads Goodman Brown through during his Journey in the dark forest. The described are meant to be sinister & evil occurrences. events
