The Pit and the Pendulum

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1842

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Download PDF

Access Full Guide

Summary

Story Analysis

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Poe often chooses to describe the narrator’s sufferings in excruciating detail—but right at the end, he holds back, and never tells us what the narrator sees in the pit. How does the relationship between the seen and the unseen shape this story?

Why might Poe have chosen the Spanish Inquisition as the diabolical villains of this story? What does a backdrop of religious fanaticism bring to the tale?

Take a look back at the narrator’s early reflections on dreams. How do his ideas about dreams, sleep, and unconsciousness relate to the events of the story?

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now

Ready to dive in?

Get unlimited access to SuperSummary
for only $0.70/week

Related Titles

By Edgar Allan Poe

The Pit and the Pendulum

Essay Topics

Related Titles

Featured Collections

Allegories of Modern Life

Fantasy

Fantasy & Science Fiction Books (High...

Fear

Horror, Thrillers, & Suspense

Mortality & Death

Mystery & Crime

Psychology

Romanticism / Romantic Period

Safety & Danger