the-cask-of-amontillado

EdgarAllanPoe坡(1809—1849)Theinventorofthedetectivestory...ThefatherofthemodernAmericanshortstory...Thearchitectwhohelpedtheworlddiscoversciencefictionasaliterarygenre...Askillfulpoet...AnimportantliterarycriticHisworkhasbeenpraisedbysomeandcondemnedbyothers.However,hispoemsandtalesareanimportantpartofAmericancultureandAmericanliterature.EdgarAllanPoe坡Poe'smother,ElizabethArnoldPoe,diedinRichmondonDecember8,1811JohnAllanVirginalIntroductionHisLifeamiserablechildhoodwasadoptedbyJohnAllananunhappyrelationshipenteredtheUniversitybutdidn’tfinishwenttoWestPointbutwasdismissedat27hemarriedhis13-year-oldcousinherdeathin1847lefthimabittererlifediedinmysteriouscircumstances,in1849SuccessasanartistandeditorbutfailuretosatisfyhisemployersandtosecurealivelihoodItwasn'tuntilthe1845publicationofPoe'sfamouspoemTheRaventhatheachievedthetruerisetofamethathadbeendeniedhimuntilthen.Thepublic'sreactiontothepoembroughtPoetoanewlevelofrecognitionandcouldbecomparedtothatofsomeuproariouslysuccessfulhitsongtoday.NevermoreTheRavenNevermore而我的灵魂，会从那团在地板上漂浮的阴影中解脱么——永不复焉！《乌鸦》叙述的是一位经受失亲之痛的男子在孤苦无奈，心灰意冷的深夜与一只乌鸦邂逅并叙述的故事。基调凄怆疑惧，源于不可逆转的绝望，随着乌鸦一声声“永不复生”而加深，直至绝望到无以复加的终行。“永不复生”共重复了11次，它是乌鸦唯一的话语，既是它的名字，也是它对作者每一次询问的回答。听起来既答非所问，又觉得非常应景。它把一幕原本荒诞的对话推向了对生存价值的哲理叙述。人至爱的一切不正像乌鸦聒噪的那样，一旦逝去便永不复生吗？12月的一个深夜，又黑又冷，这是叙述者凄苦难耐的心理写照。正是这种心境引来了乌鸦，它枯立在指挥女神的塑像上，一次次地传达着冥界的讯息，一次次地用沙哑刺耳的“永不复生”的字眼戳啄着叙述者业已破碎的心，使他的灵魂沉入低徊飘荡的阴影之中。Introduction:CommentavillainwithnovirtueanevilgeniusEmerson:thejinglemanWhitman:“itsnarrowrangeandunhealthy,luridquality”(不丰富的选材和不健康、可怕的质量)CommentfromcriticsandotherwritersinAmerica.IntroductionPoeenjoyedrespectandwelcomeinEuropeHisreputationwasfirstmadeinFranceToday,hisworksarereadwithappreciationandunderstanding.Poe'sinfluencewasconsiderableinSpain,Italy,GermanyandRussia.Poe'sachievementacritic,apoet，ashortstorywriterthegreatestjournalisticcriticofhistimehispoetryis“exquisitelyrefined“(精致优雅)histalesarecompleteworksofartagreatwriteroffiction,apoetofthefirstrank,andacriticofinsightTalesoftheGrotesqueandArabesque«述异集»acollectionofshortstoriestalestwokindsHorrorRatiocination“TheMurdersintheRueMorgue”《莫格街谋杀案》“TheGoldBug”《金甲虫》“TheBlackCat”“TheCaskofAmontillado”“Ligeia”“TheFalloftheHouseofUsher”“ThePurloinedLetter”《被窃的信件》“TheMysteryofMarieRoget”TheCaskofAmontillado(1846)EdgarAllanPoepublished“TheCaskofAmontillado”in1846.It’sataleofrevenge,murder,torture,andaddictionsetinavastundergroundItaliancatacomb.It’salsoajourneyintothedarkandmysteriousrecessesofthehumanpsyche.FortunatoMontresorRevengeAmontillado(n)Cask(n)Catacombs(n)Plotsummary(TEAM1)BriefPlotOverviewThestoryisnarratedbyMontresor,whocarriesagrudgeagainstFortunatoforanoffensethatisneverexplained.MontresorleadsadrunkenFortunatothroughaseriesofchambersbeneathhishousewiththepromiseofatasteofAmontillado,awinethatMontresorhasjustpurchased.Whenthetwomenreachthelastundergroundchamber,MontresorchainsFortunatotothewall,buildsanewwalltosealhimin,andleaveshimtodie.SelectedreadingsImustnotonlypunish,butpunishwithimpunity.Awrongisunredressedwhenretributionovertakesitsredresser.Itisequallyunredressedwhentheavengerfailstomakehimselffeltassuchtohimwhohasdonethewrong.……Let’slearnMoredetailsaboutthestoryTheFatheroftheModernShortStoryThefirstwritertodefinetheshortstoryasadistinctliteraryform.InareviewofNathanielHawthorne'santhology[æn'θɒlədʒɪ],Twice-ToldTalesinGraham'sMagazine,May1842,hedescribedhistheoryonhowtoconstructatale:1.Astoryshouldtrytoachieveasingleeffect.2.Allincidentsandeventsofashortstoryshouldhelptheauthortoestablishthiseffect.3.Theveryfirstsentenceofthestoryshouldbringoutthiseffect.4.Thewholecompositionshouldfollowtheauthor'spre-establisheddesign.5.Areadershouldfeelasenseoffullsatisfactionfromhavingreadthestory.Symbolsobjects,characters,figures,orcolorsusedtorepresentabstractideasorconcepts.“Fortunato”theCarnivalsettingthedescentintothewinecellarThecoatofarms1.Fortunato’snamePoeusesFortunato’snamesymbolically,asanironicdevice.Thoughhisnamemeans“thefortunateone”inItalian,FortunatomeetsanunfortunatefateasthevictimofMontresor’srevenge.Fortunatoaddstotheironyofhisnamebywearingthecostumeofacourtjester.WhileFortunatoplaysinjest,Montresorsetsouttofoolhim,withmurderousresults.2.theCarnivalsettingsymbolizesthesocialliquidityandfreedomfromsocialrestrictionsthecarnivalseasonisconsideredthemostcarefreebutcanbemurderouslyserious.Montresorchoosesthesettingofthecarnivalforitsabandonmentofsocialorder.Whilethecarnivalusuallyindicatesjoyfulsocialinteraction,Montresordistortsitsmerrimentandusesitformurderingpurpose.3.thedescentintothewinecellarThetwomen’sundergroundtravelsaresymbolicoftheirtriptohell,orsay,moralorphysicaldescent.Fortunato---killed---physcialdescent,gotohell,dieMontresor---killer---moraldecadence,tobepunishedandgotohell4.ThecoatofarmsExplainhowMontresor’sfamilymottoisrelatedtothestory?TotheactionsofMontressor?ahugehumanfootcrushingarampantserpentwhosefangsareimbeddedintheheelthefootrepresentsFortunatotheserpentrepresentsMontresor.5.masonryFortunatomadeagestureknowntoallmasons,themem