Questions for "The Black Cat"

1.	How does Poe use the device of flashback in "The Black Cat"?
2.	Where is the narrator as he is telling his story?
3.	Why is the narrator telling the story?
4.	What was the narrator like as a child? As a young married man?
5.	What was his wife like?
6.	The antagonist of the story is a large black cat named Pluto.  Why did 
	the narrator's wife feel perhaps Pluto was a witch?  
7.	Describe Pluto.  Look up the meaning of his name in the process and 
	explain why Poe selected it.
8.	What occurred that cost Pluto an eye?  In retrospect, how does the 
	narrator feel about this act? How did he feel about it the day after the
	atrocity?
9.	How did Pluto react to the narrator after he maimed him?  How did the 
	narrator feel about this?
10.	What does the narrator mean by "perverseness"?  How did perverseness 
	overcome him?  How did he act when he again mistreated Pluto?
11.	What happened the night the narrator killed Pluto?  How did it affect 
	the narrator financially?
12.	What image was burned on the one remaining wall of the house?  How did 
	the narrator account for the image?
13.	Why did the narrator seek a new cat, and how did he find one?
14.	In what way does the new cat compare to Pluto?
15.	Why did the narrator begin to loathe the new cat? What was the cat's 
	response?
16.	What prevented the narrator from mistreating the new cat?
17.	What form began to appear on the breast of the new cat?  How did this 
	affect the narrator?
18.	Describe the events leading to the death of the narrator's wife.
19.	What ideas did the narrator reject concerning the disposal of the body?
20.	Why did the narrator think the cat had disappeared from his life?  What 
	was his reaction?
21.	What led to the narrator's downfall?
22.	How does this compare to "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
23.	How does the theme of perversity apply to the story?
24.	How does the theme of retribution apply to the story?
25.	How does the theme of reincarnation apply to the story?

Divide into 5 groups. Group 1 will answer 1,6,11,16, and 21.
                      Group 2 will answer 2,7,12,17, and 22.
                      Group 3 will answer 3,8,13,18, and 23.
                      Group 4 will answer 4,9,14,19, and 24.
                      Group 5 will answer 5,10,15,20 and 25.