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When Edgar Allan Poe wrote "The Black Cat" in 1843, the word "paranoia" was not in existence. The mental illness of paranoia was not given its name until the twentieth century. What the narrator is suffering from would be called paranoia today. The definition of paranoia is psychosis marked by delusions and irrational decisions. This definition could best be described in the nineteenth century as being superstitious and believing that supernatural powers are affecting our decisions. Superstition and being taken over by the supernatural is a recurring metaphor for paranoia in Poe's story.

At first, the narrator of the story is very caring and loves animals; being with animals is "one of [his] principal sources of pleasure" (346). The narrator's favorite pet is his large entirely black cat named Pluto. The narrator's wife "made frequent allusion[s] to the ancient popular notion" that black cats were associated with bad luck, evil,......

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Approximate Word Count: 1812
Approximate Pages: 8 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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