"The Black Cat" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. It is a study of the psychology of guilt, often paired in analysis with Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." In both, a murderer carefully conceals his crime and believes himself unassailable, but eventually breaks down and reveals himself, impelled by a nagging reminder of his guilt. "The Black Cat" is the less well known of the two, probably because it is longer and less tight narratively; it lacks much of the economy of phrase that Poe famously advocated. However, its spaciousness allows a more extensive exploration of the themes of violence, hatred, and guilt, as well as a more mystical, mysterious setting.
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