Work with Poe’s “The Black Cat”

20 Points

Part One: Vocabulary and Using Context Clues (5 Points)

Directions: Go back to page one of the story and where you circled the vocabulary words. Reread the sentences for the words below, circle the correct definition (a. through d.), then write down the context clues that helped you figure out what the word means.

Unburthen (v.)a. to destroyb. to burdenc. to relieved. to confuse

Context Clues that helped:

Expound (v.)a. to explainb. to confusec. to conquerd. to commit

Context Clues that helped:

Phantasm (n.)a. a large man or womanb. a fantasy or illusionc. a large fand. a muscle spasm

Context Clues that helped:

Procure (v.)a. to stealb. to releasec. to obtaind. to abuse

Context Clues that helped:

Allusion (n.)a. a sealb. a referencec. an illusiond. a prediction

Context Clues that helped:

Part Two: Questions on First Three Pages of Reading (15 Points)

First page reading (page #4):

  1. After reading the first page, briefly explain your opinion of the narrator?

What does he do to make you have that opinion of him?

  1. Other than the first paragraph, the mood of the first page is very happy and calm.

(NOTE: Mood is the literary device that means the “emotion” of the story.)

In what paragraph does the mood change (there are 7 paragraphs on the page)?

What is the mood after it changes from happy and calm?

What words in that paragraph demonstrate the mood most clearly?

Second Page Reading (Page #5):

  1. Does the narrator feel guilty about his mistreating of the cat?

Copy the phrase or part of the sentence that proves this.

  1. Define what the narrator means by PERVERSENESS in your own words.

Do you think his theory of PERVERSENESSis true of all people?

  1. On the last paragraph of page two (it starts on page #5 and goes on to page #6), the narrator explains how he believes the cat ended up in the plaster wall in the middle of the house.

Summarize what he thinks happened, in your own words.

Do you agree with this explanation? Why or why not?

Homework: Page Three Reading (Page #6): Answer the following questions for homework.

  1. Since the narrator “regrets the loss”of the Pluto, what does the narrator decide to do?
  1. Although similar to Pluto in many ways, what is the trait that distinguishes the new cat from Pluto?
  1. Summarize the forth paragraph in your own words (2-3 sentences). (The paragraph starts with the words, “I continued my caresses, and, when I prepared…”)
  1. What is the meaning of the word “loathing” in the last sentence of paragraph five?
  1. Jealousy
  2. Envy
  3. Pride
  4. Disgust

What words from the sentence (context clues) helped you figure out the meaning of the “loathing”?

  1. What is the meaning of the word “pertinacity” in the second sentence of paragraph seven?
  1. Laziness
  2. Persistence
  3. Hastiness
  4. Sluggishness
  1. At the end of page one, thetone, or feelings/attitude, of the narrator towards the cat changes from hatred to something else.

The tone of the narrator towards the cat changes from hatred to ______.