A Symbol of Justice

 

Kailey Franklin 

Cindy Spangler  

EH 3365 

17 September 2024 

A Symbol of Justice

A society filled with injustice leads to corruption and violence. Without the expression of law internally or externally, people fail to change their actions or reap the consequences of what they sew. Edgar Allen Poe explores the idea of justice in The Black Cat by revealing the narrator’s attempt to succeed in his injustice, however, a black cat with the image of gallows upon its chest finally forces him to accept his fate. 

The two cats represent justice in this short story. The first cat’s name is Pluto- pertaining to the Roman god of the underworld. This reference shows that Pluto may have reincarnated as the second cat to achieve justice in the actions taken against him. For instance, the only difference between the cats is signified by one spot, “Pluto had not a white hair upon any portion of his body; but this cat had a large, although indefinite splotch of white, covering nearly the whole region of the beast” (62). When the narrator renews his unjust actions towards the new cat despite his fears of offence, the outline of the white mark becomes even more pronounced. Eventually, the white spot turns into the most frightful thing one can possibly imagine: “[I]t was now, I say the image of a hideous beast—ghastly beast thing—of the GALLOWS--oh, mournful and terrible engine of Horror and of Crime—of Agony and of Death” (63). The narrator realizes int this instance that the spirit of perverseness has grown so strong in him that only the gallows of justice can haunt his every waking moment. The narrator fears the representation of justice more than the law itself.  

The narrator believes he can commit injustice against society by placing himself above the law. However, a haughty and overconfident demeaner provides ample space for error. Illustrating his pride, he says “I rapped heavily, with a cane which I held in my hand, upon that very portion of the brick-work behind which stood the corpse of the wife of my bosom” (65). This instance serves as proof of the fact that the narrator believes he will not have any repercussions for his actions. The consequences he has faced in this story have only served to diminish his spirit and environment further rather than place him in prison. Justice does not only apply to the law system but emerges through the actions of people and their surrounding environment. The way the narrator handles relationships reveals his unjust actions, leading to consequences that burden him more and more. Furthermore, the concept of justice chooses to reveal itself through the image of a cat. The cat’s owner believes he can get away with murder and face no repercussions, but the sole object of all his earthly fears manifest: “Upon its head, with red extended mouth and solitary eye of fire, sat the hideous beast whose craft had seduced me into murder, and whose informing voice has consigned me to the hangman” (65). The narrator does not accept responsibility for his psychopathic actions, blaming both alcohol and others, until his cat reveals his internally perverse spirit. Nevertheless, the black cat acting as a catalyst for justice alerts the authorities, and they can right the injustice of his actions.  

Ultimately, man will not get away with any injustice done towards another person or even a base being such as an animal. Every unjust action has a haunting repercussion that follows its benefactor forever. Maybe not everyone is followed by the image of gallows, but every person eventually finds an interpretation of his own lingering image of justice.