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The Black Cat Analysis

Decent Essays

Although being two different categories of texts, “The Black Cat” and “Self Reliance” have similarities and differences as well. Both texts share the common upbringing of the idea of learning from mistakes. In “The Black Cat”, the narrator realizes his killing of his cat was wrong. Recalling, “I experienced a sentiment half of horror half of remorse, for the crime of which I had been guilty…”(Poe 5). Despite his murderous actions and recent corrupt behavior, the narrator still learned to recognize that what he performed was a mistake or wrong, and even sensed guilt. The narrator of “Self Reliance” also contributed to the topic of becoming aware of mistakes, but instead, aimed it at society instead of himself. He says, “we recognize our own rejected thoughts...and we shall be forced to take with shame our own opinion from another” (Emerson 4). To summarize his message, Emerson believes that people of society emphasize their mistakes, and by doing so, it teaches people to learn from them. Akin to what was previously mentioned, a difference between the two pieces is the subject of the Oversoul. “The Black Cat” does not mention this. In fact, the opposite is the case. The narrator is disconnected from the other characters in the text due to his nefarious actions, unlike the innocence portrayed by the cats and the wife. On the other hand, the Oversoul is talked about by Emerson when he states, the ‘deep force' through which we ‘share the life by which things exist'...this self

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