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2 pages/≈550 words
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APA
Subject:
Literature & Language
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
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Topic:

Edgar Allan Poe, “The Cask of Amontillado” and Herman Melville, “Bartleby, the Scrivener”

Essay Instructions:

2 parts - Short answers for each question
part 1 - Edgar Allan Poe, “The Cask of Amontillado” (1846)
Question 1
As well as being a master of the genre, Poe was an early and keen theorist of the short story. He often considered the "unity of effect" one of the short story's greatest strengths in comparison with other literary modes.
This is achieved in a text that is long enough to demand sustained attention but not for too long. Guessing you read this in one sitting, no?
So what is the unified effect of this particular story? To what degree does the effect linger?
Question 2
Identify the time and place Poe sets this story. How does the setting help achieve the overall effect and/or expose certain thematic concerns of the story?
Question 3
What's the significance of each character's name?
Question 4
What's the significance of masonry (literal and figural) in this story?
"Be it so." "So mote it be"?
Is the author/story told from a Masonic or anti-Masonic perspective?
How does the Mason face his death? Is he really such a fool?
Question 5
How might Poe's own relationship to alcoholism and substance abuse be viewed as relevant to an understanding of this story?
Question 6
Are you or do you know a sommelier? What does Fortunato reveal about himself when he claims Luchesi ""cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry"? How is this sophomoric gaffe consistent with his costume?
Is there any significance to the three wines mentioned in the story (Médoc, De Grave, Amontillado)?
Question 7
How does torch-carrying Montresor parody Hermes or Mercury in his descent?
PART 2 - Herman Melville, “Bartleby, the Scrivener
Question 1
What is the significance of Bartleby's job? How does it compare with what we might call "literary" writing?
Question 2
What is the significance of setting in this story? Could it just as easily be set in an office somewhere else, like Scranton?
Question 3
What does the narrator reveal about himself? What is his attitude towards his own profession, the law? How does he reveal insights into other characters without seeming to be conscious of their failings?
Question 4
What motivates each character? Does the narrator arrive at any sense of an explanation for Bartleby's behavior?
Question 5
Aside from the narrator and Bartleby, what do you make of the other characters? What kind of an office environment to they inhabit? Ever work in an office like this?
Question 6
What makes Bartleby's "prefer not to" such an enigmatic phrase? How would you respond to such an attitude?

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Part 1
Question 1
"The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe accomplishes a unified effect through its frightful atmosphere and mounting tension, eventually prompting a chilling revelation of betrayal and revenge. This effect lingers profoundly, haunting the reader with a feeling of noxiousness and darkness, displaying Poe's mastery in crafting lasting psychological impact in a concise narrative.
Question 2
The story is set in an anonymous European city in the 18th century during Festival season. The setting of a vibrant, chaotic celebration compared with the dull, subterranean catacombs makes an unmistakable difference, underlining the themes of deception and the descent into darkness, promoting the story's eerie, disrupting atmosphere.
Question 3
In the story, the names of the characters carry symbolic importance. Montresor's name seems like "monstrous" or "monster," foretelling his evil nature. Fortunato's name is connected with "fortunate," highlighting his unfortunate destiny and ironic weakness. These names add profundity to their role, highlighting the story's themes of deception, ironic twists of fate, and vengeance.
Question 4
Masonry plays an important role in the story as Montresor, a Freemason, takes advantage of Fortunato's interest in uncommon wines, driving him to his doom. The Masonic expressions "Be it so" and "So mote it be" ironically bind Fortunato to his destiny. The story is not expressly Masonic or anti-Masonic but uses Masonic components for a sinister twist. Fortunato's trust in the Masonic Brotherhood makes him a tragic figure rather than a fool.
Question 5
Poe's struggle with liquor abuse and substance misuse could illuminate the story's depiction of addiction and its destructive results. The story's accentuation on the lure of intoxication, double-dealing, and the descent into darkness might mirror Poe's encounters, adding profundity to the story and featuring the theme of self-destructive behaviours.
Question 6
Fortunato's claim about Luchesi's failure to distinguish Amontillado fr...
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