In Cask of Amontillado, the internal conflict is introduced at the start with the narrator stewing within his own mind about how he hated Fortunato for one too many straws of injustice placed upon the narrators back. However the narrator grins and bears more and more as he plots his revenge, growing to despise his "friend" more and more until he cannot bear it any longer. The conflict continues in a more external role as the narrator puts his plan for revenge into motion, tricking the drunk and coughing Fortunato down into his family crypt, where the narrator says he's left some wine, they continue down into the deep crypt, passing the scores of dead until they reach the end of the tunnel where the narrator has displaced the bones of his relatives and dug a hole into the wall, into which the narrator chains Fortunato. He begins to wall off the opening, all the while listening to the screams of Fortunato, this brings back about the internal conflict of the story, for the narrator has to stop to reassess the situation a few times before he convinces himself to finish the deed and walk away, leaving Fortunato buried alive under a lake, surrounded by the dead.
i just had a fantastic epiphany!!! i never thought to consider the fact that the narrator man-dude holds back his hatred for Fortunato, and "grins and bears" as you put it. this clearly mirrors the wolf's restraint in dealing with that LRRH- instead of instantly eating her (sexy time) the wolf bides his time, and "seduces" her....how serious are these posts supposed to be? i feel like a robot posting all this analysis nonsense...
ReplyDeleteKendra, I like this: The conflict continues in a more external role as the narrator puts his plan for revenge into motion." This is a good example of a conflict that can be both internal and external, or move from one to another. They aren't always as simple as they appear in fairytales.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great observation: "for the narrator has to stop to reassess the situation a few times before he convinces himself to finish the deed."
He does indeed doubt himself several times. Subconsciously, Montresor knows his hesitations aren't a result of the cold, the dampness, or the need to rest. Consciously, he substitutes such reasons so he can finish the job.
Michael, an interesting parallel. In terms of how "serious" the posts should be, well, we're doing literary analysis in an academic context. It can be fun, some of it can be light-hearted, but typically, an academic investigation of a subject belies some seriousness. The entire course is based on building analytical skills; while you might feel it's "nonsense", you'll want to keep this in mind.