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Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat” tells the story of a man that slowly descends into irrationality and madness after killing his beloved cat Pluto. Although the narrator was once considered deeply affectionate and loving towards animals, he later turns hostile and his actions become disturbing as he grows abusive. His transformation begins as he becomes addicted to intoxication. The narrator’s cat, Pluto as well as the narrator’s consumption of alcohol are key symbols that exemplify the narrator’s change in character making those around him victim to his displaced impulses. From a Freudian perspective, these acts and emotions ensue from trauma repressed into the unconscious and are then brought into the light under the influence of, in this case, alcohol. The narrator of the short story expresses hostile acts of aggression emanating from suppressed emotions and excessive drinking thus illustrating several Freudian concepts, such as repression and displacement. 

Repression is a recurring concept in Freud’s lectures regarding psychoanalysis and is implemented in Poe’s “The Black Cat” in different forms, both externally and internally. Freud defines repression as the absence of unwanted memories or feelings in the conscious mind, often aggressive, sexual, or violent impulses which can be fueled by childhood trauma and are pushed into the unconscious. (Freud 2212) The narrator of “The Black Cat” undergoes the symptoms of internal repression as they arose from past trauma he experienced as a child which then affected his moral behavior. As a child, the narrator was docile and had a tender heart which made him “the jest” to his companions. (Poe 2) And so, he learned to surround himself with animals instead and sought pleasure in caring for them which followed him into adulthood. The lack of social interaction and communication in his life restricted him from expressing his emotions and formed hatred within him. As time progressed the narrator faced a change in disposition that prompted him to become abusive to his wife and the other animals. Yet he restrained himself only when it came to Pluto. One night when he came home intoxicated the cat avoided his presence, bringing him to an epiphany. He had come to realize the more he lost himself to alcohol he resorted to violence towards those around him including his wife, pets, and his favorable companion, Pluto. The alcohol only temporarily helped to alleviate the mental stressors he was experiencing, but it was also feeding the anger within him. By repressing his emotions, it only made him irritable and caused him to lose himself in his violence. Thus, showing the effects that repression had on his actions. 

The realization of who he had become caused him to loathe himself as an individual. However, he continued on with his heinous acts of hurting others. Although he had previously restrained himself from hurting Pluto, he had let his anger get the best of him and “sooned drowned in wine”. (Poe 8) The text states “I took from my waistcoat-pocket a pen-knife, opened it, grasped the poor beast by the throat, and deliberately cut one of its eyes from the socket”. (Poe 7) This emphasizes the narrator’s resentment and aggression he had repressed, now emerging causing him to hurt the ones he loved the most. He becomes so lost in the perverseness of his actions, only seeking in that moment to satisfy his impulses. Ultimately, these irrational impulses are what led him to noose Pluto, worsening his case and the external repression he had faced. However, after killing Pluto, after satisfying his impulses, it did nothing but create a void in him and so to fill that void he brought a cat who was of similar appearance to Pluto, a white marked cat. The narrator, being reminded of his former cat, begins to develop feelings of anger and resentments towards the white marked cat. As a result, he becomes so misguided and consumed in anger, he succumbs to his former impulses once again. Despite trying to repress them his consumption of alcohol further intoxicates him and brings these repressed wishes to his conscious mind. 

Lastly, displacement is an evident concept when discussing the content of “The Black Cat”, as the narrator expresses irrational behavior of anger and hatred towards Pluto, his wife and other pets, triggered by alcohol. Freud describes displacement as dreams that have been “subjected to distortion” (Freud 2222) This can be linked to the situation of the narrator, as his anger became distorted and displaced onto harmless and relatively trivial figures. As stated in the text “I fancied that the cat avoided my presence. I seized him; when, in his fright at my violence, he inflicted a slight wound upon my hand with his teeth. The fury of a demon instantly possessed me.” (Poe 7) Due to the narrator’s obsession with drinking his anger compelled him to harm Pluto. He shifted all forms of rage that were within him towards harmless figures exercising the concept of displacement. His emotions now enter the consciousness mind manifesting him into killing his wife, Pluto and eventually himself as well.  

Furthermore, Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat”, is a literary piece that conveys concepts of Freud’s study of psychoanalysis regarding repression and displacement. Due to repressed emotions, the narrator of the “The Black Cat” had displayed severe acts of aggression and animosity towards others. Impulses led by the wishes in the unconscious generated from alcohol consumption led to the death of many including the narrator himself.  Through Freud’s interpretation the analysis of the narrator’s actions in “The Black Cat” accurately depicts ideas of both internal and external repression as well as displacement.