Comparing Revenge In The Amontillado And Gone Girl
The Power of Revenge
People often spend hours planning revenge on someone but never follow through with it. However, some people create very meticulous plans for their enemy, and soon enough it takes over them. Revenge drives people to do horrible acts. Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of the Amontillado” is about a man who gets his revenge on another by luring him into the catacombs, and then burying him alive. Similarly, the movie Gone Girl, produced by David Fincher, is about a woman who fakes her own murder to get revenge on her husband for cheating on her. Both stories depict the idea that revenge drives people to do appalling acts and is demonstrated in the characters, the conflicts, and the settings. The main characters in both of …show more content…
In Poe’s story, the conflict is that the narrator hates Fortunato for something that he has done. The narrator never mentions what Fortunato does to him, but it is bad: “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (Poe 209). Clearly, Fortunato has repeatedly hurt the narrator in some sort of way. The narrator is now at a point where he can no longer stand Fortunato taunting him. He creates an interesting method of revenge for Fortunato. Likewise, the conflict in Gone Girl is between Amy and Nick Dunne. Their love for each other has weakened over the five years of their marriage. At home, they barely talk. When they talk, it results in pushing and yelling. Amy finds out that Nick has been cheating on her, which drives her to fake her own murder. She figures that this is a satisfying way to get revenge on her own husband. “There’s a difference between really loving someone, and loving the idea of her”(Pincher). Nick really doesn’t like Amy at all, but he loves the idea of having a wife and a perfect family. The average person typically divorces their spouse after finding out they are cheating on them. Instead, Amy takes her anger to a whole new level by plotting a deranged plan of revenge. Revenge often results from conflicts, but it can also come from the setting that a person is …show more content…
Poe’s story, “The Cask of the Amontillado” takes place during the night at a summer carnival. Most of the people at the carnival are very intoxicated, including Fortunato. The narrator asks Fortunato to help him taste some Amontillado because he is not sure if this is the best kind of wine to buy. Fortunato is more than willing to help. The narrator reels him down into the catacombs, and then buries him alive: “Unsheathing my rapier, I began to grope with it about the recess; but the thought of an instant reassured me. I placed my hand upon the solid fabric of catacombs, and felt satisfied”(Poe 214). The narrator hesitates for a few seconds when he hears Fortunato screaming behind the wall. After burying him alive and following through with his plan of revenge, the narrator feels satisfied. The setting of Poe’s story is below ground, and has a very dark atmosphere. This type of setting is vital for the theme of revenge and it really gives off the feeling of doom. In contrast, Gone Girl takes place in a small town in Missouri. The couple moves to Missouri, Nick’s hometown, when Nick’s mother is dying. Amy is upset about moving because she loves living in New York City. The two lose their jobs, and Nick makes the decision to go back home to be at his mother’s bedside. Amy makes no friends; so she is always home alone in
People often spend hours planning revenge on someone but never follow through with it. However, some people create very meticulous plans for their enemy, and soon enough it takes over them. Revenge drives people to do horrible acts. Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of the Amontillado” is about a man who gets his revenge on another by luring him into the catacombs, and then burying him alive. Similarly, the movie Gone Girl, produced by David Fincher, is about a woman who fakes her own murder to get revenge on her husband for cheating on her. Both stories depict the idea that revenge drives people to do appalling acts and is demonstrated in the characters, the conflicts, and the settings. The main characters in both of …show more content…
In Poe’s story, the conflict is that the narrator hates Fortunato for something that he has done. The narrator never mentions what Fortunato does to him, but it is bad: “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (Poe 209). Clearly, Fortunato has repeatedly hurt the narrator in some sort of way. The narrator is now at a point where he can no longer stand Fortunato taunting him. He creates an interesting method of revenge for Fortunato. Likewise, the conflict in Gone Girl is between Amy and Nick Dunne. Their love for each other has weakened over the five years of their marriage. At home, they barely talk. When they talk, it results in pushing and yelling. Amy finds out that Nick has been cheating on her, which drives her to fake her own murder. She figures that this is a satisfying way to get revenge on her own husband. “There’s a difference between really loving someone, and loving the idea of her”(Pincher). Nick really doesn’t like Amy at all, but he loves the idea of having a wife and a perfect family. The average person typically divorces their spouse after finding out they are cheating on them. Instead, Amy takes her anger to a whole new level by plotting a deranged plan of revenge. Revenge often results from conflicts, but it can also come from the setting that a person is …show more content…
Poe’s story, “The Cask of the Amontillado” takes place during the night at a summer carnival. Most of the people at the carnival are very intoxicated, including Fortunato. The narrator asks Fortunato to help him taste some Amontillado because he is not sure if this is the best kind of wine to buy. Fortunato is more than willing to help. The narrator reels him down into the catacombs, and then buries him alive: “Unsheathing my rapier, I began to grope with it about the recess; but the thought of an instant reassured me. I placed my hand upon the solid fabric of catacombs, and felt satisfied”(Poe 214). The narrator hesitates for a few seconds when he hears Fortunato screaming behind the wall. After burying him alive and following through with his plan of revenge, the narrator feels satisfied. The setting of Poe’s story is below ground, and has a very dark atmosphere. This type of setting is vital for the theme of revenge and it really gives off the feeling of doom. In contrast, Gone Girl takes place in a small town in Missouri. The couple moves to Missouri, Nick’s hometown, when Nick’s mother is dying. Amy is upset about moving because she loves living in New York City. The two lose their jobs, and Nick makes the decision to go back home to be at his mother’s bedside. Amy makes no friends; so she is always home alone in