Narrator’s wife (The Black Cat) Character Analysis in Poe's Stories

The wife of the narrator of "The Black Cat," she shares his love of animals and fills their house with pets. Though she sticks by the narrator despite his abuse and murder of Pluto, their cat, the narrator ultimately kills her after she stops him from kill the second black cat that mysteriously appears in their life. The narrator shows no grief upon killing her—instead taking pride in how well he hides her body.

Narrator’s wife (The Black Cat) Character Timeline in Poe's Stories

The timeline below shows where the character Narrator’s wife (The Black Cat) appears in Poe's Stories. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...get from a man. But the narrator did marry, and was lucky to find a wife who appreciated his love of pets, and filled their house with a host of them,... (full context)

That very night, the narrator of "The Black Cat" and his wife were awoken by the sound of flames. The house was on fire. They escaped but... (full context)

...that it too only has one eye, though this only endears the cat to his wife. As the narrator’s loathing for the cat increases, so does the cat’s affection and it... (full context)

...Cat" had in his heart has disappeared. His evil instincts take over, and even his wife is feeling his fury. One day, they go to visit their old house on an... (full context)

...night and for the first time since its arrival, even with the murder of his wife on his hands, the narrator sleeps soundly. For three more days, this bliss continues. (full context)

...It has already started rotting, and on top of the gory figure of the narrator’s wife, sits the cat. (full context)