The narrator constantly uses repetitive language to highlight his diminishing grip on reality. Although "The Pit and the Pendulum" focuses on a single character, the reader actually discovers very little about him. Indeed, the narrator, when he's not trying to save himself, is more often than not "swooning" (fainting), coming in and out of consciousness, and losing and regaining his senses. For example, in the first paragraph, the narrator phrases the opening line as “I was sick—sick” and explains that the lips of the black-robed judges are “white—whiter than the sheets upon which I trace these words.” Poe's Short Stories Summary and Analysis of The Pit and the Pendulum. As the "Pit and Pendulum" narrator ’s body awakens, he tries to remember his own descent into this dream world, and imagines silent figures carrying him into darkness and then a terrible stillness as they pause. “The Pit And The Pendulum” Is A True Horror Story Stephen King once said, “We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones.” Bram Stroker, H.P. With his unusually morbid writing technique, Poe created a story in which real fears came alive. “The Pit and the Pendulum” consists of two main themes as well as symbolism. One does not know his name, what he has done, whether he is guilty, whether he is a criminal, what he misses about life in the everyday world, whether he … In The Pit and the Pendulum, the expectation of death, first by hanging, then with the pendulum, then into the pit, forces the narrator to confront his own mortality time and time again. For example, in the first paragraph, the narrator phrases the opening line as “I was sick—sick” and explains that the lips of the black-robed judges are “white—whiter than the sheets upon which I trace these words.” “The Pit and the Pendulum” is a short story of horror that uses detailed sensory imagery in order to instill fear and horror in the reader. “The Pit and the Pendulum” consists of two main themes … The Pit and the Pendulum Themes. The narrator constantly uses repetitive language to highlight his diminishing grip on reality. The story delves into the very basic human fear of torture. The first […] Click "Start Assignment". Lovecraft, Mary Shelley, and Edgar Allan Poe may have been a few of the greatest authors of horror to ever live. Identify the theme(s) from “The Pit and the Pendulum” you wish to include and replace the "Theme 1" text. Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in “The Pit and the Pendulum”. ... Poe exploits the theme of the fear of the unknown by connecting it to the fear of the dark at the beginning of the narrator's ordeal and to the fear of being helpless, as in the latter half of the story. Teach and learn The Pit and the Pendulum with ideas from this resource guide, including discussion questions, character analysis, plot summary, genres, themes, historical context, symbolism, vocabulary, quotes, and paired reading suggestions for this exemplary work of Gothic Literature. “The Pit and the Pendulum” consists of two main themes as well as symbolism. Our goal is to help you help your students better understand AND ENJOY classic literature! Print Word PDF. Discussion of themes and motifs in Edgar Allan Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum. Poe carefully makes every word, every phrase, every sentence in the story contribute to the overall effect, horror, accompanied by oppressing morbidity and anxious anticipation of terrifying events. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell. This Study Guide consists of approximately 18 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Pit and the Pendulum. "The Pit and the Pendulum" exists on the razor-thin edge between life and death, consciousness and unconsciousness. Depending on how low the pendulum is, the life of the soldier is slowly getting closer to ending. With his unusually morbid writing technique, Poe created a story in which real fears came alive.