Which story is more successful&;#063;

David Almond wrote the short story 'Lucy Blue' in 1997. While Edgar
Allen Poe who wrote 'The Black Cat' was an author in America in the
late 19th Century, nearly 150 years before David Almond. Both are
stories about murder, the effects of alcoholism and most of all of good
triumphing over evil. I hope to get across the differences and
similarities, which create a good murder story.

Similarly both stories address the same issues of alcohol and good
over evil. The introductory themes of both stories make the reader feel
intrigue and curiosity, as they both force the reader into what already
seems to be the middle of a story, previously told. 'Key will let you
in. Knife will end it&;#8230;Set me free' is taken from 'Lucy Blue'
where the author has plunged the reader into the deep end with no
explanation of who? Why? Where? In the same way, Edgar Allen Poe also
starts off this way. 'But tomorrow I die, and today I unburden my soul'
The reader upon seeing this statement would want to carry on reading
whether or not they can understand the syntax Edgar Allen Poe has
used.
After both these remarks both authors, through the narrator character,
try to fill the story with more suspense by not going on straight away
to explain the opening sentences but by giving the story more depth.
'We were little girls with our short skirts tucked into our knickers
splashing in the surf'. This sentence used by David Almond gives
passion to the story. It gives the reader the chance to actually
imagine these characters in real life. Poe also uses this technique to
make the characters personal to the reader 'From my infancy I was noted
for the docility and humanity of my disposition'. Although Poe uses
lengthier sentences to get this idea across, it still works and gives
the story identity and intensity.
In 'Lucy Blue' it differs from 'The Black Cat' by talking about the
family, of Lucy Blue, the child has. He also introduces dreams Lucy
Blue and her friend, who plays the narrator, has about Lucy Blue's
estranged father 'Swashbuckling pirate they imagined him as' these
dreams and ideas are broken when Lucy Blue actually meets her father.
This gives a little more insight into Lucy Blue's life. However Poe's
narrator talks not about his family but about his pets. We had birds,
gold-fish, a fine dog, rabbits, a small monkey, and a cat.' This
sentence shows what the narrator cares most for in life - in 'Lucy
Blue' it was meeting her father and in 'The Black Cat' it was the pets.
These are linked together by one thing, the fact that the story
revolves around these introductions of these characters.
Notably both stories deal with alcoholism; it is the 'fatal flaw',
which separates the 'good guys' from the 'bad guys'. 'There was cider
in his pockets and slurred curses from his tongue' this differs from
earlier descriptions of the father, and also adds mystery to the story
as to why he appears so. This also marks him out as the 'bad guy'. Poe
introduces it: 'but my disease grew upon me - for what disease is like
alcohol!' The narrator treats his alcoholism as a disease, an easy way
out of problems. The alcohol adds that extra bit of something that
makes itself known to the reader that they know who is the 'bad
guy'.

As in most short stories only a few characters are involved in the main
plot. This is so they can become personal to the author and also the
reader. In both stories, as I mentioned before, one character has a
'fatal flaw' which is a dependency on alcohol. Poe, I believe
identifies himself with his main character, the narrator, as it is well
known that Poe himself was an alcoholic!
Similarly the victims in these stories are all innocent whether they
are animal or human and all of them are murdered. 'Lucy wore white like
a bride' reminds me of purity and innocence against the portrayal
alcoholic father. 'For Pluto, however, I still restrained from
maltreating him'. Shows that the narrator in 'The Black Cat' feels
remorse towards the treatment of his cat, but feels he can't control
himself. As the reader can see, both main victims are helpless, a child
and a cat are no match for mad, middle-aged men with no restraints or
mercy.

In the same way both stories are set in houses, this gives it an air of
cosiness and normalcy but also of isolation. Which is the perfect
location and situation for a murder to take place. 'The Black Cat' is
actually set in town when the murder happens but from the way Poe
describes it '&;#8230;into the cellar of the old building which our
poverty compelled us to inhabit.' It seems as if they are in the middle
of nowhere and secluded from any neighbouring communities. However
'Lucy Blue is set in a remote area as well, but the reader knows that
it is secluded 'She lived with her mother in a timber house way out on
the headland' this gives the reader feelings of insecurity and
compassion towards the characters as they can already guess what is
going to happen to them.
'The Black Cat' is only set in about 3 places; this is because in a
short story you have limited space to create different locations. All
three settings seem spooky and eerie. At first the story is set in a
'high status' building or what seems to be classed as a 'high status'
building. Then in a pokey old house in town and the narrators 'in a den
of more than infamy' all these places have association towards other
objects such as when the reader thinks of pubs they will think of
smokey rooms, opium, drunkards (men mostly). So basically not a nice
place to be, the author Poe describes it like this with one word
'infamy' which just means ill repute. 'Lucy Blue' however is only set
in one main place with passing mentions of the locality 'One day in the
Angel there was a knife fight' is one of the passing mentions of the
locality in which 'Lucy Blue' is set. It also shows that a length of
time has passed since the incident happened. Nevertheless this idea of
mentioning the neighbourhood gives the story more interest.

The main action, of course is the murder, which in 'The Black Cat' is
greatly detailed while in 'Lucy Blue' the murder is only hinted at.
This makes the readers have to think for themselves. More action is
written about in 'The Black Cat' as it is a longer story than 'Lucy
Blue'. 'In their consequences these events have terrified - have
tortured - have destroyed me' Poe uses this as a prologue to the main
story, this gives the effect of the reader already knowing something is
going to happen but is uncertain what the event is. 'Lucy Blue' however
provokes a sense of mystery by talking about the note and tells the
reader what it says, this action makes the reader want to carry on
reading so they can find out why the note has been sent. Another main
point of action is when Lucy Blue's father returns home 'And then at
last he came, and we saw, and Lucy and I were children no longer.' This
quote gives a feeling of premonition to the reader. It also refers to
the children growing up which has other connotations such as Lucy's
father has pulled the child-like wool from their eyes and they now see
the world like adults but it could be more sinister such as rape, as
sex is a way of 'growing up'. This section of the story is also the
turning point of 'Lucy Blue' as after this many things go wrong for
Lucy and her mother. Well in fact very bad for the mother as she is
murdered quite soon after the appearance of Lucy's father. The first
paragraph of 'Lucy Blue' only makes sense if you read the rest of the
story, so David Almond is motivating the reader to carry on
reading.

The language in the stories is very different. David Almond uses modern
syntax, which is shorter sentences and use of regular punctuation he
also uses modern words. 'She waited and years passed'. This is an
example of modern syntax, which Almond uses. Modern syntax is to point
and quick. Poe however uses words that were modern in his day but are
now archaic 'sagacious, allusion'. These words today go unused.
Poe wrote his short story when short stories were actually quite long
and a main source of entertainment. Therefore they were exaggerated and
very detailed because of this I found 'The Black Cat' more believable
and was able to imagine it more real. 'Lucy Blue' however was short and
to the point. David Almond doesn't paint the picture for the reader,
the reader has to think and reflect, maybe even read the story
again.

They both have an unexpected twist towards the end. In 'The Black Cat'
it was the fact that the cat was still alive sitting on his dead wife's
head. You can imagine his mind slowly falling pieces when he realises
the result of this 'upon is head, with red extended mouth and solitary
eye of fore, sat the hideous beast whose craft had seduced into
murder&;#8230;I had walled up within the tomb.' This is evidence of
his madness manifesting itself. In 'Lucy Blue' you get the impression
Lucy might be dead 'she disappeared in the pulse of light, reappeared
in the stretch of dark'. Its almost as if she has come back to take
revenge on her father ' from beyond the grave'

In my opinion I though both stories were captivating and full of
suspense, but the one that stuck in my mind was the 'The Black Cat'.
This is because of the language used; you had to read each sentence
twice for them to start making sense. This leads you to read slower and
take more note of the details written down and action done. In 'Lucy
Blue' however you read it quickly as it uses words and sentence
structure you are familiar with so you can easily miss the point and
the main action. Also 'The Black Cat' has more gore, horror and
suspense and together more action. Most people I believe would make
this choice as well, as it is like the modern movies today, 'full of
action from the word go', the whole idea is handed to you on a plate.
'The Black Cat' is also something, which is unlikely to happen, while
'Lucy Blue' is likely to happen. People don't want to read about things
that can happen, they want to read about things that are nearly
impossible. Although 'Lucy Blue' is more probable to happen, 'The Black
Cat' is more believable due the immense detail put into it.