Stylistic devices

In order to portray the characters, to describe the setting, to reveal the idea or to render the general mood of the story vividly and convincingly the author of the analysed text resorts to the following devices:

Periphrasis. The words “latter”, “playmate”, “animal”, “creature”, “beast” are employed instead of the word “cat” in order to underline the narrator’s changing attitude towards his pet. “The Fiend Intemperance” is used here to disclose that narrator could not resist temptation to drink, his constant addiction. 

Euphemism. "to use intemperate language to my wife" is used be the narrator in order to make his own fault seem softer. 

Simile. “All black cats as witches in disguise” is used to intensify the mysterious effect of the whole story. “Disease is like Alcohol” is employed for the purpose to characterize the reason of the narrator’s cruel deeds also it underlines that alcohol enslaves human mind and absorbs his soul.

Metaphor. “I … drowned in wine all memory of the deed” which also clearly shows the narrator’s partiality to Alcohol.

"Wild narrative", "equivocal feeling", "cruel deed", "hideous murder" and many other are used to create the gothic atmosphere of the story. They make the narration expressive but subjective because the reader perceives everything through the eyes of the narrator.

Personification. "In speaking of his intelligence, my wife, who at heart was not a little tinctured with superstition, made frequent allusion to the ancient popular notion..." Pluto is characterized as a human whose mind is developed. 

Allusion. The name of the black cat is the allusion itself - it refers to Ancient Roman mythology where Pluto is the god of the underworld. In such a way the reader treats the cat as the mysterious creature and it's not a surprise when Pluto "comes back" in order to take his revenge. 

Irony. "And now was I indeed wretched beyond the wretchedness of mere Humanity. And a brute beast - whose fellow I had contemptuously destroyed - a brute beast to work out for me - for me a man, fashioned in the image of the High God - so much of insufferable wo! Alas! neither by day nor by night knew I the blessing of Rest any more!" Actually it is the case of convergency when many stylistic devices are used in the short context (inversion, repetion, periphrasis, graphons, etc) but I consider them to serve the only purpose - they create ironical situation. The narrator vividly depicts his sufferings but he doesn't meet reader's compassion but vice versa - the reader begins to despise him even more. 

Repetition. “Half of horror, half of remorse” shows that the narrator feels either regret or fear.

Gradation. “More moody, more irritable, more regardless”, “I blush – I burn – I shudder”, “a cry, at first muffled and broken, like the sobbing of a child, and then quickly swelling into one long, loud, and continuous scream, utterly anomalous and inhuman - a howl - a wailing shriek”, “have terrified - have tortured - have destroyed me” which strengthen all that incandescence of the situation.


As we can see, the story is full of stylistic devices which can be found almost in every sentence. But all of them are used mostly in order to depict the situation vividly, to create the special imagery and the atmosphere of the gothic story.