Josh Murphy
Ms. Gray
English 2110
2 December 2016 “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau is a transcendentalist narrative set in a cabin in the woods with a man who separated himself from society so that he could concentrate on his writings. Although “Walden” has a lonely setting, it is definitely a transcendentalist narrative because of the light mood, and the homely setting. “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe is a gothic narrative set in an unknown time, and the only information given about the place is that it was in a carnival. “The Cask of Amontillado” is certainly a gothic narrative due to its dark mood, and its vague setting. Transcendentalist and gothic narratives have many apparent differences, but when further studied…show more content… The narrator says “I smile now at the thought of his immolation”, which tells the reader that he must deranged in some way (Poe 715). Another statement that backs that up is when the narrator says “when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge” (Poe 714). The narrator is saying that he genuinely wants to kill someone simply because they insulted him. This is Edgar Allen Poe’s way of saying that being too involved with society as a group can cause you to do things that you may regret simply because you care too much about what someone thinks about you. If the narrator in “The Cask of Amontillado” had been more independent, then he might not have cared as much about what Fortunato thought about him. “The Cask of Amontillado” definitely has a dark plot, but it allows Poe to show how relying too heavily on society rather than thinking for yourself can affect the decisions you…show more content… There seems to be no story, and when reading the narrative, the reader gets the feeling that Thoreau was just writing random ideas that he had. The plot is easily compared to someone just ambling about their life, with no plan as what they are going to say. The way that the narrative is structured creates moments where the reader thinks that he has figured the main point of it all, only to later read a contradicting statement that challenges what the reader thought he had figured out (Walden Study Text). This is exactly what Thoreau wants. Thoreau’s writing endorse individualism, and if he always just wrote his opinion, then his readers may just agree with what he says. The way that he wrote “Walden” however, forces his readers to contemplate the ideas presented and make a decision for themselves. Therefore, Thoreau makes his readers experience transcendentalism for
