Figurative Language In Edgar Allen Poe's 'Cask Of Amontillado'

The use of figurative language by authors elevates their works, especially those of fiction, into an entirely different realm in which the reader becomes immersed in both the imagery and descriptions of the text. Of course, there are many ways in which writers can use figurative language such as similes, metaphors, and hyperboles to create an image for the reader or emphasize a point they are trying to make. Authors are also able to utilize figurative language beyond decorating their writing but to also add character development, communicate information about the text, and amplify suspense. To further illustrate the importance and the roles of figurative languages the following short stories including Edgar Allen Poe’s “Cask of Amontillado”,

The story tells of a woman of unknown background who charms a man out of his boots, in a choppy manner, the timeline fast-forwards slightly and the two have fallen in the depths of love, marriage, and a baby. The whole nine yards, some may say. Yet, in typical Kate Chopin-esque manner, the façade of a beautiful home and loving family was torn down within a few paragraphs into the story. In fact, a rather particularly haunting excerpt from the text states; “It was a sad looking place, which for many years had not known the gentle presence of a mistress, old Monsieur Aubigny having married and buried his wife in France, and she having loved her own land too well ever to leave it. The roof came down steep and black like a cowl, reaching out beyond the wide galleries that encircled the yellow stuccoed house.” (Chopin, 1892). This portion of the text describes the residence of L’Abri in which the happily married Mr. and Mrs. Aubigny reside with their newest edition, the baby. It is also of importance to mention that Mr. Aubigny is a slave master and there are many slaves upon the property throughout the text, Aubigny is a through and through racist and lashes out at them with a ferocity that Mrs. Aubigny fears she married Satan at

This draws a picture for the reader that the roof, the very thing that is meant to shelter and protect the family, is looming above them in the manner of a cowl—or thick hood—rich with secrets and distress. Chopin’s description of the home, especially the simile for the roof, informs the reader of the true nature of this seemingly happy family and the weight of unhappiness that is not only beginning to burden them but represents the evil they partake in by owning slaves. Mr. Aubigny fears that his wife is the very thing he hates the most in this world, not pure a hundred percent red-blooded Caucasian, and banishes her and their child from his estate on these accusations. In a twist of fate, it is Aubigny who comes to find out he is of mixed heritage. This can bring a new level to the symbolism of the sinking roof of his home as it shows the weight of his hatred towards others and himself that has driven his wife and child away. Through craftily using the figurative language device of similes, Kate Chopin was able to create layers of hidden meaning and symbolism that informed the reader but also gave a subtle wink that there is more than what meets the story she