Poe and the Fear and Paranoia Within One's Own Home

 

When reading any of Edgar Allan Poe's works, the sense of dread and unease is so prevalent that it not only makes it hard to read, but impossible to put down. In this sense, it is as if you were watching a traditional horror movie; the camera follows the character and slowly pans around the corner, leading us straight to the source of the strange noise. In most cases, it is what awaits the character around the corner that scares us, most likely due to the loud noise and lack of music, but what doesn't normally get appreciated is the setting of the scene and the mood of the shot. In these shots, what is the director trying to convey? Is the focal point the scare, the characters reaction, the reaction of the audience, or an amalgamation of all these things and more?

With Poe's work, the same sense of dread and paranoia is present, just the same as in a typical horror movie; however, what Poe does is a step further compared to most films. In his writing, Poe's descriptions of the house and place in which his horrors lie are explained in such beautiful and intense detail. In these stories, we feel almost as if the house is a character of its own, particularly the antagonist in the case of The Black Cat and The Tell Tale Heart. 

During the time of writing, Poe lived at 532 North 7th St., located in Philadelphia, PA, from the years 1838 to 1844. Today, it is known as Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, given that it is the last remaining house Poe lived in that is still currently standing. To Poe, however, this was just known as home. Here, the dreariness, fear, anxiety, and unease within both Poe's house and mind were translated, almost directly, into Poe's works, creating intensely dreary and creepy stories such as the ones I will cover today. 

While living here, Poe grappled with various issues, all impacting his writing and overall psyche. Poe's wife, during this time, was sick with tuberculosis, which is a disease not curable until 1921. Not only this, but Poe went through various financial strains during his time here, making both treatment of his wife and himself difficult. Combining both of these with Poe's ongoing alcoholism and the time of year in which he wrote The Black Cat and The Tell Tale Heart, that being fall and winter, it is easy to see how the status of his house and life reflected upon his work. 

As mentioned before, the two stories I wanted to cover are The Black Cat and The Tell Tale Heart, both written in this house during his stay. Both stories follow a character committing a murder and dealing with the fallout of the crime, both internally and externally, while also exploring the characters' slow descent into madness before and after the murders. Within the story,  the themes of deception, fear, and the second self are prevalent, taking the reader through an unnerving read, leaving a sense of unease within us. Since both narrators are unreliable, it makes the reader struggle to keep up with the personas put forth by the characters while the characters themselves attempt to cover up the crime and cope with the sudden appearance of a different side of themselves. The vanity of the characters us clear and sharp, as they act incredibly egotistical when describing how they covered up their crimes; yet, this isn't as pervasive as the feeling of paranoia that comes with it. The claustrophobic settings present within the stories make the reader feel a true sense of discomfort, especially considering the murders being covered up in each house. At some points, we feel as if we are the ones that will face the consequences if the crimes are revealed. 

The second self is also an important theme within these stories, as I mentioned before. The narrators put up a façade for those who interact with them after they commit the crimes. Ironically, the narrators themselves struggle to figure out which self is their true self; in The Tell Tale Heart, the narrator panics when thinking about killing the old man. At the point in the story when he kills them, he really does not have a valid reason for his murder, nor does he provide anything that the reader can stretch their belief to understand, yet the mental gymnastics he puts forth to convince both us and himself that he is insane is incredibly noticeable. In The Black Cat, the narrator consistently struggles with various mood swings and outbursts, mostly contributed to his ongoing alcoholism in the story, making the readers question which personality is the true one. Is it the one that lashes out at animals, letting his own ego take over even when he murders his own wife on accident? Or is it his remorseful, paranoid self seen when he realizes what he has done?

Much of the fear, dread, and paranoia mentioned here is present within Poe's life as well, and acts as almost a direct reflection of Poe's own state during the time of writing. Considering what was happening in his life, as well as the environment the stories were written in, it is easy to see how Poe was able to translate this setting and these themes on paper. This alone is a testament to the idea that one's environment and life within said environment is capable of completely changing one's psyche and mind, allowing for something truly amazing to be created from it. The sense of doom and dread present in Poe's life, dealing with his wife's illness and his struggles with money and alcohol, are fuel for his own internal fire. Not only this, but being stuck inside during a cold, dark, and damp period while writing such bleak and dreadful stories is sure to make someone go mad in the process, and this is clear in Poe's writing. Even the cellar present within The Black Cat is directly influenced by Poe's own cellar in this house, making for a more uneasy reading of the story.

Knowing all of this, it not only makes us wonder if the dual personalities within the stories are reflections of Poe's own mental traumas and self doubts, but makes us wonder how Poe viewed his relationship with his surroundings. Is his home the antagonist, locking in all the suffering, dread, and pain of his existence in a most suffocating way; or is it an uneasy alliance, working with Poe to create these amazingly haunting stories, while taking something from him in the process?

By Michael Baker

                                                                       Works Cited

"Literary Landmark: Edgar Allen Poe house", American Library Association, May 28, 2017. http://www.ala.org/united/products_services/literarylandmarks/landmarksbyyear/1989/poe

Hoehne, Kait. “Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive ~ Edgar Allan Poe Biographical Timeline.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 22 Apr. 2022, www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/edgar-allan-poe-buried-alive-timeline/9436/.

“Edgar Allan Poe (U.S. National Park Service).” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/people/edgarallanpoe.htm.

“Edgar Allan Poe.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 5 Sept. 2023, www.britannica.com/biography/Edgar-Allan-Poe.