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Quizzes > Books & Literature

The Black Cat Quiz: Test Your Poe Story Knowledge

Quick, free Black Cat trivia quiz. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Lindsay SiegmundtUpdated Aug 24, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
paper art illustration of layered book pages and black cat silhouette on teal background for Black Cat Edgar Allan Poe quiz

This Black Cat quiz helps you recall key moments, characters, and themes in Poe's The Black Cat. Answer quick questions, see instant results, and spot what you missed. Want more Gothic practice? Try The Raven quiz and House of Usher quiz. It's a fast way to prep for class or a quick reread.

Who narrates The Black Cat?
The narrators wife
An unnamed prisoner
A local detective
Pluto, the cat
The story is told in first person by an unnamed narrator who awaits execution for his crimes. Poe often used unnamed narrators to heighten the sense of mystery and unreliable perspective. The narrators eventual confession unfolds as a deathbed statement revealing his descent into madness.
What initially drives the narrator to commit violent acts in the story?
His deep hatred of cats
A supernatural curse
Alcoholism
A financial crisis
The narrator repeatedly affirms that his gradual descent into cruelty and violence is fueled by his increasing obsession with drink. Poe links his protagonists moral decay directly to alcohol abuse, a common Gothic trope. As the narrator becomes intoxicated, he loses self-control and commits horrific acts.
Which animal is the narrators first victim of extreme cruelty?
His wifes parrot
His neighbors cat
His dog
His own cat, Pluto
Pluto is the narrators favorite cat before his behavior turns violent. In a drunken rage, the narrator seizes Pluto and inflicts brutal harm. This cruelty foreshadows later violence and underscores the narrators moral collapse.
How does the narrator mutilate Pluto as an early act of violence?
He drowns it in the river
He slices off its tail
He cuts off one of its paws
He gouges out one of its eyes
In a moment of drunken fury, the narrator gouges out one of Plutos eyes. Poe describes the act in graphic detail to heighten the horror. This event marks the narrators irreversible turn toward madness and cruelty.
What instrument does the narrator use to murder his wife?
An axe
A hammer
A pistol
A kitchen knife
The narrator slays his wife with an axe during a violent outburst. Poe employs the blunt weapon as a symbol of the narrators raw brutality. This act of domestic violence is central to the storys shocking climax.
What shape does the white patch on the second cats chest eventually form?
A heart
A gallows
A skull
A cross
Over time, the narrator notices that the white patch on the second cat takes on the form of a gallows. This ominous symbol haunts him with guilt and foreshadows his fate. Poe uses the changing mark to suggest supernatural retribution.
Where does the narrator conceal his wifes corpse?
Behind a brick wall in the cellar
Under the floorboards
Buried in the garden
In the attic
After killing his wife, the narrator entombs her body behind a freshly built brick wall in the cellar. Poe describes the deliberate and cold construction of this hidden vault. This concealment is undone by the cats cries.
What ultimately reveals the hidden corpse to the police?
The cats persistent meowing
A blood-soaked trail
A neighbors tip
Footprints in the cellar
When the police inspect the cellar, a loud, frantic meowing leads them to tear down the wall and find the corpse. The narrators horror peaks when the cat emerges. This twist emphasizes Poes themes of guilt and supernatural justice.
In what year was The Black Cat first published?
1847
1851
1840
1843
The Black Cat was first published on August 19, 1843, in The Saturday Evening Post. Poes story appeared alongside other works reflecting American Gothic sensibilities. This date marks one of the authors most famous short tales.
Which narrative technique does Poe employ through the storys perspective?
Dramatic irony
Frame narrative
Unreliable narrator
Omniscient narrator
Poe uses an unreliable narrator who confesses his crimes while justifying them to the reader. This technique creates psychological tension and questions the truth of his account. The shadowy psyche of the protagonist is central to the Gothic effect.
Which other Poe story also focuses on guilt and a murderers psychological torment?
The Masque of the Red Death
The Raven
The Fall of the House of Usher
The Tell-Tale Heart
The Tell-Tale Heart similarly explores guilt and paranoia as a murderer hears the imagined beating of his victims heart. Poe uses this story to dramatize the narrators mental collapse. Both stories delve into conscience and retribution.
Which theme is most prominent in The Black Cat?
Technological progress
Guilt and retribution
Social satire
Romantic love
The central themes of guilt and supernatural retribution dominate the narrative. The narrators crimes return to haunt him through the black cat and his own conscience. Poe often portrayed guilt as an inescapable force driving madness.
In which periodical did The Black Cat first appear?
The Saturday Evening Post
The Southern Literary Messenger
Grahams Magazine
Burtons Gentlemens Magazine
The Black Cat was first published in The Saturday Evening Post on August 19, 1843. Poe contributed regularly to this popular American periodical, reaching a wide audience. This publication helped cement his reputation as a master of Gothic fiction.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Recall Key Plot Twists -

    Review major events and chronological twists in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" to reinforce your narrative comprehension.

  2. Identify Symbolic Elements -

    Spot and interpret key symbols, such as the titular cat and the narrator's eye, to uncover deeper layers of meaning.

  3. Analyze Gothic Themes -

    Examine themes of guilt, madness, and horror in "The Black Cat" to appreciate Poe's contribution to Gothic literature.

  4. Evaluate Literary Techniques -

    Assess Poe's use of foreshadowing, irony, and suspense to understand how these techniques shape the story's chilling atmosphere.

  5. Apply Knowledge in the Black Cat Quiz -

    Leverage your understanding of plot, symbolism, and Gothic conventions to confidently answer timed trivia questions and prove your Poe prowess.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Symbolism of the Black Cat -

    Poe's black cat embodies themes of guilt and superstition, with the cat's missing eye serving as a "window to the soul" motif (Encyclopaedia Britannica). Memorize this symbol using the mnemonic "EYE" (Emblem of Yawning Evil) to recall how Poe ties physical loss to moral decay.

  2. Unreliable Narrator Techniques -

    The first-person narrator in The Black Cat confesses to cruelty while insisting on sanity, illustrating Poe's classic use of an unreliable voice (JSTOR). Use the "4Rs" (Reliability, Remorse, Rationalization, Recurrence) as an Edgar Allan Poe quiz study aid to dissect each admission of guilt.

  3. Key Gothic Motifs -

    Poe's short story employs darkness, suspenseful pacing, and elements of the supernatural, hallmarks of a Gothic literature quiz (University of Oxford). Remember "GAPS" (Gothic Architecture, Atmosphere, Psychological fear, Supernatural) to categorize each motif efficiently.

  4. Historical & Biographical Context -

    Published in 1843, The Black Cat reflects Poe's own battles with alcoholism and loss, offering insight into 19th-century American literature trends (MLA). Linking Poe's biography to story events - like naming the cat Pluto - will strengthen your short story trivia recall.

  5. Essential Plot Points & Quotes -

    Key Black Cat Quiz questions often focus on plot twists - such as the narrator's murder of his wife - and memorable lines like "the fury of a demon instantly possessed me." Create flashcards for pivotal events and quotes to ace The Black Cat questions under timed conditions.

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