In “The Black Cat,” an alcoholic is brought to the brink of sanity by the debilitating effects of alcoholism. He tortures and kills his cat Pluto.. He’s driven even more insane when he’s followed home by a stray cat that appears almost identical to the Cat he killed, except for a gallows mark on its chest (Poe, n.p). One of the world’s most notorious serial killers, Elias Abuelazam, used a similar strategy one used in The Black Cat, to murder his victims . From the narrative of Black Cat, it is clear that a person can carry out heinous deeds and feel no sorrow for what they have done, just as Elias Abuelazam had no guilt after stabbing five people. This critical essay will analyze the theme of justice and truth in Egar Allen Poe’s The Black Cat and relate it to an article I read about one of the most infamous serial killers, Elias Abuelzam.
Both justice and the truth themes play significant roles in the story of The Black Cat. The narrator tries to hide the truth by encasing his wife’s body, but the black Cat’s voice helps in his capture. “The only movement I made was a sigh of relief. “My heart pounded like a child’s dozing in a peaceful state of slumber (Poe, n.p).” Poe didn’t care if the authorities found his wife, but the fact that he had murdered her was nothing new to him, and he didn’t bother to own his deeds. “I slept even with the burden of murder upon my conscience!” His actions have left him with no feelings of guilt or shame, even after killing and fortifying himself with his wife, getting as peaceful a night’s sleep as possible. Lines like these from “The Black Cat” illustrate the idea that a person can commit evil deeds and not feel bad about it.
Similarly, the Abuelazam trial article depicts a theme of justice and truth, as he delivers justice to the families of those he murdered by confessing to his crime. “Two psychiatrists who testified on the prosecution’s behalf acknowledged that, while Abuelazam possessed an undiagnosed personality disorder and a deficiency of empathy, he showed no remorse for his actions and believed he had done nothing wrong. Abuelazam is unable to accept responsibility for his actions, and instead attempts to explain them by stating that ‘evil spirits’ compelled him to do so (Harris n.p). Abuelazam was unaffected or horrified by the stabbings he committed.
The story of “The Black Cat” and the article on Elias Abuelazam demonstrate that people can do bad things and have no remorse for their acts. After carrying out five racist stabbings, Elias Abelazam had no shock or emotional response to his actions. Like the protagonist in “The Black Cat,” Abelazam was a chronic alcoholic. Serial killers continue to impact people’s lives because of the prevalence of their crimes in modern society. Since serial killers act as emotional lightning rods and society relies on them to keep others safe from their violent impulses. Serial killers give society an outlet to experience the darker side of the human condition that otherwise would not or couldn’t have been considered.
Works Cited
Poe, Edgar Allan. The black cat. Magnard, 2003.
Harris, David. “GUILTY: Flint Serial Killer Elias Abuelazam Convicted by “Mountains of Evidence.”” Mlive, 22 May 2012, www.mlive.com/news/flint/2012/05/elias_abuelazam_verdict.html. Accessed 27 Apr. 2022.
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