O horror psicológico em Edgar Allan Poe: uma análise de técnicas narrativas

Abstract

This paper investigates psychological horror in the works of Edgar Allan Poe, focusing on the narrative techniques used by the author to provoke a unique effect of unease in the reader. Through the analysis of the short stories “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Black Cat,” and “The Cask of Amontillado,” the study examines how Poe structures his narratives to explore the darkest recesses of the human mind. Grounded in Poe’s concept of unity of effect, as outlined in The Philosophy of Composition, the research emphasizes the role of the unreliable narrator in the construction of psychological horror. Drawing on theorists such as Wayne C. Booth, Fred Botting, and Jakob Lothe, this work demonstrates how the distorted and subjective perspective of the narrators immerses the reader in states of tension, doubt, and moral ambiguity. The Gothic settings and symbols are also examined as extensions of the characters’ disturbed minds. It concludes that the effectiveness of Poe’s psychological horror lies not only in his dark themes but in the way the narrative is crafted to manipulate the reader’s perception, challenging them to distinguish between reality and imagination, sanity and madness.