Assignment III:

Setting and Mood Analysis

Edgar Allan Poe vs. Edward Connell
Written by Preme Namfar

The setting for this gruesome story by Poe could have been the most ironic gothic fiction of
all time. The underground catacomb, which is very dark and quiet even though the event
occurred during the carnival season, which is the celebration of freedom. The way Montresor
lures Fortunato through the journey inside his family's catacomb was towards the smaller and
fouler space, this genuinely making us aware that, both of them are further away from fresh
air and away from the freedom. As shown in this passage, "...through a range of low arches,
descended, passed on, and descending again, arrived at a deep crypt, in which the foulness of
the air caused our flambeaux rather to glow than flame." Although there is much ironic
symbolism in this short story, such as the bells on Fortunato's jester outfit, that is a similar
item to put on the wealthy dead bodies before buried to make sure not to bury anyone alive.
Montresor deliberately buried him alive, and the silence of the bells was the sign of
Fortunato's demise.

Another story is also quite ironic, and the setting gave itself away with the name "Ship-Trap
Island" and left almost no place to imagine. Since Connell mentioned it from the beginning, it
was very obvious to us that the island will be significant for this story. It was less than likely
that good things would be happening there for sure. The island described as tangled with
trees and surrounded by rocky shores as in Rainford's thought once he reached the
place: "Dense jungle came down to the very edge of the cliffs." The story has set its theme
from the conversation between Whitney and Rainsford about Rainsford believes in the
hierarchy between the hunter and the hunted as he was quite confident that the hunted
animals do not experience feelings, thought, and for sure "no reasoning" just pure instinct.
Thereafter he became the hunted himself by General Zaroff and finally learned that instinct
sure plays the prominent role in terms of survival from the hunter. Via the passage describe
Rainsford's survival; "(he) forced himself on toward that gap. He reached it. It was the shore
of the sea. Across a cove, he could see the dark gray stone of the chateau. Twenty feet below
him, the sea rumbled and hissed. Rainsford hesitated. He heard the hounds. Then he leaped
far out into the sea..." Rainsford survives the hunt only after his fear forces him to jump off
the cliff into the ocean, with "his animal instinct" or "rasher decision." The animal and human
elements work in tandem to ensure his survival.

As a personal opinion, "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe has given the more
significant impact and more satisfying horror ending. With the way, Poe uses the tone of
voice in Montresor's thoughts as calm, very gentle, and showed that he is a well-educated
nobleman, but he was vengeful and lack of remorse. The way Montresor subtlely keeps
himself friendly with Fortunato and the scheme where he dismissed Fortunato's wine
knowledge to make the guy offer to come to Montresor's trap without a doubt, ensures how
much he knows Fortunato valued his vanity. Montresor used reversed psychology and
successfully got Fortunato into his own grave. It is even more amazing when his name
'Fortunato' means "fortunate" in this case, he was "unfortunate." The way Fortunato was in
denial was also giving a satisfactory sensation as he laughed and still think he would be able
to laugh about the incident together with Montresor over the wine and then when he realized
Montresor was placing the last stone to plaster in Fortunato yells "For the love of God,
Montresor!" Just like every other Poe's story, the murderer is grim and calm as Montresor
answered, "Yes," he said, "for the love of God!" and lastly he revealed that the story had
happened half a century ago and he never got caught or punished for what he did. Montresor
portrays a calm and collected serial killer type person that the story itself has never assured us
how many people had crossed and been killed by him. Even though "The Most Dangerous
Game" has given us the puzzle of Rainsford's choice, whether he goes back to the civilization
or replace Zaroff, "The Cask of Amontillado" has the highest satisfaction in the outcome. The
creepily yet humorous storytelling also adds to the reader's amusing and entertaining
engagement along with the story. Montresor's sinister and his lame jokes kind of lead us to
believe, for a moment, that somehow no one will get hurts, if we are able to laugh, it must not
be that horrible. Nevertheless, suddenly, Fortunato was going to die; we cannot help feeling a
little guilty the pleasure and laughter we had before.