"The Pit and the Pendulum" Analysis

Edgar Allan Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum" is a terrific example of Dark Romanticism. Taking place during the Inquisition, it tells a story of a man who has been thrown in prison for not admitting to a deed he had been accused of. The man wakes up unbound, but he does not know where he is and is afraid to open his eyes. When he does, all of his worst nightmares come true; he is surrounded by complete blackness. He continues to endure many terrible, torturous activities throughout his stay.

The one thing that stuck out to me so incredibly much about this story that was so different from other works we have read is the sense that there is no hope. While at the end, he does talk about finding hope, for the first three quarters of the story the man is absolutely hopeless. Very descriptive, dark, and dreary observations were made by the man, which served as another example of how this story fits the Dark Romanticism theme, and the man gave off the impression that there was really nothing else he could do. He spoke of the stories he had heard of the pit he was assuming to be in, and none of the stories ended well. To confirm my beliefs about his lack of hope, on page 267, he wrote in black and white, "I had little object - certainly no hope" (Poe 267).

In other literary styles, it seems as if the overall theme is overcoming an obstacle. While the man certainly did overcome obstacles in "The Pit and the Pendulum," it was portrayed in a different way. Instead of mentions of God, hope, and love, Poe instead wrote about "Fate" (Poe 264), despair, and unhappy thoughts. It seems that in the previous reading styles we have read, there has been a happier tone; the reader believed the main character would certainly make it out of a situation in a heroic way. However, in this story, the reader has really no inclination to believe the man will make it out alive. Romanticism is known for having a hero, someone that will go against the odds in order to save the day or himself. "The Pit and the Pendulum" is an exemplary example of Dark Romanticism; the man does indeed save himself, yet he is not necessarily viewed as the charming knight in shining armor that is portrayed in previous Romanticism.

Something else in the story I noticed that qualified "The Pit and the Pendulum" as Dark Romanticism was the mysteriousness of the writing and the fact that it could easily be viewed as demonic and improbable. The man speaks of writings on the wall with red, glowing, demonic eyes (Poe 273). This is an example of Romanticism because of the mystical value; it is Dark Romanticism because is sets an almost Satanic tone. It gives off a tone of deep, gut wrenching mysteriousness that is typical for a Dark Romanticism writing.

Overall, it is very obvious that "The Pit and the Pendulum" is an example of Dark Romanticism. There is a "hero," yet he is shown as a hero in a more dark and mysterious way than that of a typical Romanticism hero. He overcomes dark, demonic challenges in which others are trying to brutally kill him, and there is an overall gloomy and dreadful tone. Poe certainly did not fail in writing this mysterious and captivating work of Dark Romanticism.

WORKS CITED
Poe, Edger Allan. “The Pit and the Pendulum” In American Literature. Willhelm, Jeffory, comp. McGraw Hill. Columbus, 2009. Print.