Comparison of The Protagonists in 'The Black Cat' and 'Miriam'

Introduction

For two stories, The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe and Miriam by Truman Capote, both protagonists are influenced by their powerful thoughts and mental issues, which are caused by different objects from the outward world and inner struggles. In the first case, alcohol tragically leads the character into a dark abyss. In the second, the hallucinated girl, Miriam, changes the life of the protagonist and seizes her deepest fears and ideological battles inside.

Comparison of The Protagonists in The Black Cat and Miriam

To begin with, the character in The Black Cat is impacted by the conflict and struggle between himself and the external world. This conflict is the reason his mind and emotions have changed while his drinking abuse becomes more severe. He states that he has gotten along with animals since his childhood and even considers the people around him to be “paltry friendship,” believing pets to show more “fidelity” than humankind (Poe, 1843). Nonetheless, his mind changes after he is introduced to alcohol, which is the external object that influences his personality and humanity. A significant characteristic of this change is that he kills his favorite cat brutally and even “cut one of its eyes from the socket” (Poe, 1843). After this action, he feels barely guilty, but still regrets it with mere sympathy. Things worsen when he actually kills the first cat and encounters a second cat, which looks the same but has a slight difference on the neck. This also reflects his morbid state of mind. Through his view, the fur on the cat’s neck resembles a “gallows,” indicating that the character can see his sin, but alcohol is extremely potent and sinks into his soul and mind, making him evil and eventually leading to his wife's murder.

Mental Struggles in Miriam

On the other hand, Mrs. Miller in Miriam experiences a different struggle than the character in The Black Cat. Her loneliness is the weapon that impacts her mind and causes her mental illness, creating an external struggle throughout the story. The allusion of Miriam is the most reliable evidence demonstrating her mentality. She describes and finds herself stating that 'there is nothing more disturbing than a sensation of darkness' (Capote, 1945). This is a noticeable warning of how empty her heart is. Her changed mind becomes more dramatic after she meets Miriam; she feels “oddly excited” at first because of Miriam's appearance. However, after Miriam goes to her house and takes away her jewel case, she starts to panic and becomes “feverishly agitated” (Capote, 1945). Finally, the allusion created by her mind haunts her at the end, and the eventual appearance of Miriam shows that her shallow emotion and infirm thoughts would never fade away.

Conclusion

To sum up, these two characters experience similar situations as they undergo changes in their minds. Both are eventually overpowered by their mental problems. The character in The Black Cat reflects his mental illness due to his addiction to alcohol. He requires an external force to self-medicate and numb himself through drinking. In the second story, Miriam is a creature appearing in Mrs. Miller's later years, which could represent that her life is running out; the massive loneliness that surrounds her creates an unbearable atmosphere. Moreover, the sensation of choking terrifies her, and she can feel the loss of every single life while staying with Miriam. The struggles and conflicts in the minds of the two protagonists were the strongest forces that collapsed their mental fortresses.

References:

• Capote, T. (1945). Miriam. In Truman Capote: The Complete Stories. Random House.
• Poe, E. A. (1843). The Black Cat. In The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, vol. 2. Harper & Brothers.