The Pit and the Pendulum

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The Pit and the Pendulum

• Edgar A. Poe

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General Info

• Written in 1842
• Author Edgar Allan Poe
• The time span of 1842-1843 was a time
• when Poe wrote many of his most known
• works.( The Pit and the Pendulum 1842, The
  Tell-Tale Heart- Jan. 1843,
• The Masque of Red Death- April 1842,
• The Black Cat- 1843)

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Setting

• Setting Toledo, Spain- Dungeon- During the
  Spanish inquisition
• Allusion- a reference to a famous historical or
  literary figure or event. Its purpose is to
  explain and enhance the subject of the text.
• This story alludes the Spanish Inquisition.
• Note The Spanish Inquisition began in 1487
  under the rule of KingFerdinand and Queen
  Isabella as well as Pope Sextius IV. The Spanish
  Inquisition tried to eliminate all non-Catholic,
  especially Jews and Muslims. It ended centuries
  later in 1834.

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Point of View

• Point of View
• 1st person POV is told by a character who
  refers to
• himself or herself as I
• Purposes-
• 1.We share immediately in the narrators
  experience
• and feelings.
• 2.We know what only the narrator knows
• 3.The reader experiences what the narrator
• experiences.
• 4. Creates a sense of intimacy.
• 5. It limits the readers knowledge.

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The narrator our protagonist/main character

• Nameless
• Antagonist-
• his insanity
• his tormentors
• time, etc.
• Note- Poe rarely has a story with a happy
• ending. In Poes mind, the narrator, even
  after
• being rescued, can continue with a new, more
  frightening type of torturelife.

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Theme central idea

• Untimely Death
• Isolation
• Torture
• Will to live vs. desire to die- Survival
• Fear
• Loss of time
• Persecution

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Genre category into which a story falls

• Fiction- the events of the story did not happen
• Horror Fiction
• Gothic Novel supernatural horrors and
  atmosphere of unknown terror extreme emotions
  (anger,surprise, fear, etc.)
• Note Poe is given credit for introducing the
• modern detective story

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Style the way a writer uses language and
literary elements

• Use of Latin and French ( can be confusing to
• modern readers)
• Minimum use of characterization, plot and
• atmosphere
• Interest in the events that happen to people
• rather than the individual
• Uses a repeated male character- some say this
• male character may be various parts of him
• Famous for his use of suspense

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Symbol

• Pit hell
• Pendulum slow, approaching death time ticking
  down
• Father Time Zeus father, Cronus controller of
  time
• Darkness The unknown ignorance
• Rats A potential problem turned positive
• Unseen tormentors personal demons

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With a partner. . .

• What do you think really happens to the narrator
  at the end of the story?
• Which aspect of the narrators torture
• physical or psychologicaldo you find
• more horrible? Why?