I really enjoyed this story. It got a little gross but it definitely kept me interested. I just had a few questions which hopefully someone could answer for me.
Why is this narrator a female? Considering that almost all of his narrators are male, does this mean he is specifically satirizing female writers in this work? Why else would he have a female narrator?
Is there any truth to the instructions Mr. Blackwood gives Psyche on how to write? What does it tell of the narrator since she failed so horribly at utilizing his advice?
Page 287 near the end of Mr. Blackwoods tutorial he asks her if there is anything else he can do for her. He asks this “while the tears stood in his eyes.” Do you think that Mr. Blackwood has been toying with Psyche? Most of his speech has been quite composed but then he gets really excited when discussing how she could die. Are these tears of happiness that he found someone dedicated to his work or are they tears of trying to suppress laughter? If they are tears of amusement then what does that say about publishers and other magazine execs?
The last few sentences have the headless Psyche lamenting over being alone. What do you think happens after she says “I have done”? Why is it "I have done" and not "I am done"? Do you think she accepts death or could Poe have any other business with her?
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4 comments:
With a female narrator, I think Poe is making fun of female writers. Her description of her name, how her name is not "Snobbs," and that "Tabitha Turnip propagated that report through sheer envy" (278) seems to be Poe making fun of women in general.
As far as Mr. Blackwood's advice, part of his focus is on writing about the "sensations" felt leading up to her death (281). He also wants her "scrape" to be original (281). There is some truth to this because when we read a horror story (or watch a horror movie), we know that death is inevitable, so we focus on the buildup, and originality adds to the story.
The last line "Alas--nothing! I have done," I think you could read as "I have done nothing" and as she is left with nothing. Maybe she feels she didn't take Mr. Blackwood's advice, or her story didn't do what she wanted it to do...? I don't know, it seems like an odd ending considering she was decapitated by a clock...
I agree that he is making fun of female writers and perhaps their intelligence. She misqoutes and misspells everything Mr. Blackwood forces her to write (WRITE!). Poe was a satirist as we all know but this makes me more curious about his thoughts on women.
Mr. Blackwood annoyed me. His advice and attitude was somewhat elitist. He thinks that his point and only his point about what goes on in writing is valid. He really annoyed me and reminded me of a poetry professor who said if we didn't like his work we were all stupid.
I think she didn't focus on her sensations as she felt she had. She certainly had quite a death.
Kevin,
I too think it is interesting that Poe uses a female narrator but I can't say I agree with Laura that he is making fun of women.
I think he is showing how difficult it is for women in the male dominated writing profession. I think Poe was commenting on the exploitation of feminine feelings.
Maybe my reaction to this story was wrong, but I thought it was very funny. Except for maybe the racist aspects. I didn't like her "solitary walk" when she was with Pompey.
However, I didn't find this story gross or morbid, compared to that is, to Morella, or Berenice.
I agree more with Audry in that Poe is not making fun of women but making a statement about their participation in the writing field and industry. I too thought it was quite funny although morbid and racist at times.
Another point that I liked is Psyche Zenobia’s ability to include every piece of advice Mr. Blackwood gives her into her story. During the instructional part of the story I felt the build up to be a little scary and dictator like with him screaming “Write!” at the end of every point. However, the product Zenobia comes up with seems to achieve the goal; it’s a story that evokes the sensations Mr. Blackwood was describing.
I really enjoyed this story and liked Poe’s use of a female voice to tell this extravagant tale of how having her head severed from her body did not result in her death, like one would assume, but how it created another way for her to interpret life and the world around her.
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