She reflects good ideals that oppose those of the narrator. She is opposed to how the narrator abuses the animals, because of this she is the protagonist. The wife is a flat character who does not change in a significant way throughout the story. Being that she is an animal lover, later in the story she tries to prevent the narrator from harming the animals. She is kind, nurturing, and also has a love for animals. The Wife- The narrator’s wife is another main character in the story. The narrator commits evil deeds and there is a character who opposes him. Without trying to spoil the ending, the narrator is the antagonist. But by the end, he has grown a hatred for animals, particularly cats, and is a total drunk. In the beginning of the story the man is very fond of animals, and is impartial towards drinking. The narrator in the story is a dynamic character. Based on this information it is logical to conclude that the narrator is a round character, because he has a variety of traits.

However, the narrator also claims that he loves animals which shows his more sympathetic side. This shows the narrators violent, and temperamental personality. On one particular occasion after coming home highly intoxicated from a bar, the man gouges his cats eye out with a knife. In addition to this, the narrator is a violent man who often has fits of rage in which he abuses and mistreats his animals. The Narrator- The narrator in the story The Black Cat is an adult male who enjoys animals and drinking. How do you think the story would change if it was set in the middle ages? Discuss. The time and place both have major impact on the story. Being arrested would have led to his demise sooner and prevent him from having dealt any harm to other beings. For example, in modern society there are many regulations that have cracked down on animal abuse, if the story were to take place now after a first or second offense of animal abuse he would have been arrested. Being that the story takes place in a town during the early 19 th century it justifies the narrator's actions. The tale appears to be during the during the span of Poe’s life, which was from 1809 until 1849. This regular neighborhood allows the reader to better relate to the characters and the story itself. The story The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe takes place in a typical 1800’s township, comprised of the homes of business owners and other middle class jobs.

The black cat short story