In "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allen Poe, he ends the story with the phrase "rest in peace." We briefly began to discuss the meaning of this, but did not finish it. I believe that, like the previous examples of dialogue, this has multiple meanings and some irony. First off, it is ironic because Fortunado will most certainly have a rough time of slowly dying in a claustrophobic space, making it not peaceful whatsoever. Additionally, I believe that it refers to Montresor and his inner feelings. As revenge on Fortunado has become all that Montresor seems to care about, it also confuses me. He will be satisfied with the death of this man, but after it has passionately driven him for so long, will he really be at peace in the years following these events? What is his motivation now? We established that Montresor is rather psychopathic, leading me to believe that this will simply branch off into a different unresolved issue. On the other hand, the main character obviously had put a lot of time and effort into plotting Fortunato's downfall, and was very careful and patient during that time. So, the death of his "friend" may be a satisfaction that Montresor keeps with him and quells his insane tendencies. Overall, my question is, what happens to Montresor internally now, and did this murder truly satisfy him? We may discuss this at more detail further on in the week, but after reading the text through in class once, these are my thoughts.
-Chavez Rodriguez
Incisive comments, Chavez. Whether the impulse for revenge can ever be truly satisfied is a tough question, and one that is easily transplanted into our conversations about the Reconstruction. Could those who suffered as slaves ever be made whole, by revenge or any other means?
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