Depicted in the acclaimed short story "The Black Cat" (1843) by the master of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe and "The Cat from Hell" “Hell” (1977) from the splendor of contemporary horror, Stephen King is a composition of suspense strategies, generating fear and curiosity that allow authors to manipulate their audience. Both pieces were initially published in an American magazine, Poe's in an issue of the US Saturday Post during Romanticism and King's in Cavalier Post-Modernism. However, despite the fact that these tales give the impression of being very similar in terms of feline revenge, the application of the techniques in "The Black Cat" differs significantly from that in "The Cat from Hell" due to the contrasting background of the authors. and respective time period. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay For starters, both tales incorporate an unusual situation in which a cat is "responsible" for revenge. It is believed that King and Poe prefer descriptive language and personification to build a visual image of his characters and also suggest their paranormal symbolism. An example would be from the latter's tale in which the speaker accuses the cat of plotting murder against him: "The cat, -, almost threw me over headlong." In King's piece, the speaker uses descriptive language in "His face was split in two: half black and half white." In the context of his postmodernist period, this is a plausible reference to how the cat's appearance reflects the balance on the scales of justice. Another unassailable example of similarity is that both stories make a character unusual. Both narratives use characterization to delineate an unreliable personality, developing a sense of uncertainty and confusion in the audience. Poe's speaker confesses how his attitude has completely worsened due to his addiction to alcohol. In a 1977 publication ("Dealing with the Monster"), author TS Arthur states how alcohol was considered anathema and thus prevented people from thinking clearly in the mid-19th century. Likewise, King's Drogan, who deems the cat demonic, is also the head of the largest pharmaceutical company in the fictional world. His company supplies Tri-Dormal-phenobarbine, which supposedly contains a “mild hallucinogen” and is “addictive.” This suggests that Drogan may have consumed his possessions and thus hallucinated. Despite these obvious similarities, the two seemingly identical horror tales actually share a handful of crucial differences. One obvious difference is the respective authors' approach to an unusual setting. . In “The Black Cat,” Poe uses little to no imagery when it comes to communicating the setting, except its darkness. He is well aware that ambiguity can manipulate the audience into discomfort as information is withheld. On the other hand, King extensively incorporates visual, tactile, and auditory imagery, primarily using descriptive language to construct a vivid illustration of a squalid, abandoned environment. The contrast could be a consequence of the respective eras. As part of Romanticism, Poe's stylistic choices include less direct and poetic imagery and romantic irony to remain prosaic. Postmodernist horror, in contrast, relies on graphic descriptions to reach the level of animation and film. Another difference present is the application of ironic devices. While both stories convey situational irony, “The..