“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe presents unique symbolism of the repression of homosexual desire and the harmful effects of a society that promotes repressive behavior. This tale details the process of imprisoning that which the narrator despises, both literally and metaphorically. Yet a strange analytical lens brings to light the figurative homoerotic nuances of the story; focusing predominantly on sexuality highlights the metaphorical imprisonment and repression of the narrator's homosexual desires. Ultimately, the narrator suppresses his sexuality and shifts his hatred onto Fortunato due to social pressures, thus acting to stifle something considered taboo and atrocious. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Queer theory analyzes the role of sexuality in literary works and its influence on characters' identities. Whether a character's sexuality is overtly stated, subtly alluded to, or completely ignored in a text, its presence or lack thereof presents an intriguing analytical lens through which to analyze a piece of literature. Johanna Smith's article "What Are Gender Criticism and Queer Theory" describes queer theory as "an emphasis on sexuality and its broader insistence that the multifaceted and fluid character of identity negates efforts to categorize people on the basis of any characteristic" (388). . A character's sexuality can exist on a spectrum, as that character can have queer characteristics without being labeled gay, and can experience same-sex desire while existing outside of binary categories created by society. A character doesn't need to form their entire personality around that aspect of identity, or even accept that aspect. A character's identity consists of many qualities; however, repression and denial of any aspect can negatively affect well-being and mental state. If the character lives in a society where going against the norm of heterosexuality is considered detestable, then “homosexual panic, the revelation of an unspeakable homosexual desire” (Smith 391) can cause distress and an anxious desire for repression. Once a character recognizes the innate desire for the same sex, he enters a state of terror, of fear of being discovered and ostracized by society, leading to the unsuccessful suppression of sexuality. Such anxiety, combined with repression, can have a drastic impact on a character's mental state. That character comes to despise his sexuality simply because of its peculiarities and the taboos of society, and the inability to free himself from it, creating an internal conflict. Poe's story features numerous elements that suggest homosexual desire and symbolism for sexuality itself: "It was about sunset, one evening during the height of the madness of the carnival season, that I met my friend. He approached me with excessive warmth, because he had been drinking a lot. He was wearing a tight-fitting striped suit, and his head was crowned with his conical cap and bells. I was so happy to see him that I thought I would never stop shaking his hand." (Poe) This part of Poe's story relies heavily on the juxtaposition of amiable and aggressive words and images. Poe uses words generally associated with violence such as “approached” and “squeezed” to describe the cordial actions of hugging and shaking hands, customs that generally express friendship. This stark contrast not only conveys the narrator's literal hostility towardsLucky, but also the opposing forces of love and hate that reside within him. The narrator is torn between the love and desire that comes from sexuality and his hatred of homosexual desire, and the confusion and problems it brings to his life. His constant alternation between hostile and friendly words shows the narrator's internal conflict due to his homosexual desire, which he considers madness. Since the narrator finds his sexuality disorienting, it is fitting that he carries out his plan to completely rid himself of it during a carnival, the epitome of stupidity and madness. Then he finds a person who personifies his sexuality, his friend Fortunato, a man known for his improper antics and who literally wears clothes worn by fools. The narrator's focus on clothing emphasizes how Fortunato represents something ridiculous and strange, an image of how Montresor views his homosexual desire. Although he wishes to be completely free of his sexuality, and consequently of the man who represents it, Montresor cannot help but feel a slight joy in allowing himself to stop repressing his desire for a moment. The pleasure that the narrator apparently derives from seeing Fortunato also translates into the joy of giving free rein to his desire. Montresor lets his homoerotic desire escape, because he knows that, to completely free himself from it, he will have to face it and capture it. . He cannot act against this desire by denying its existence. Once she fully recognizes her sexuality, her hatred for such a scandalous desire rises to the surface and projects her harsh emotions onto Fortunato. Having a person as the embodiment of his sexuality gives Montresor a physical entity on which to focus his anger and confusion. The contradictory phrases that the narrator uses to describe Fortunato support the idea that Montresor does not hate him as a man, but simply hates what he represents. He repeatedly describes Fortunato as a friend, and when he finishes trapping him in the catacombs, his “heart [gets sick]” (Poe), a feeling he feebly attributes to the heat of the tunnel. Montresor feels great pain after completely sealing Fortunato because he hurt his friend and also lost a part of his identity. Despite the projection of hatred onto Fortunato and the desire to free himself from something that causes suffering, Montresor does not want to completely distance himself from his sexuality. He recognizes that homosexual desire is part of his sense of self and that completely suppressing it would cause him to lose a part of himself. Although he wishes to destroy his source of shame, Montresor does not violently kill Fortunato - and subsequently his sexuality - but constructs an elaborate plan to literally wall up his feelings and the man. He chooses his family's catacomb to become the resting place of his sexuality, a place close and reserved only for those dear to Montresor. Montresor also has second thoughts about finishing the wall as his goals begin to become reality; he even calls Fortunato when he realizes that his metaphorical sexuality is abandoning him. These small details reveal that the narrator does not innately hate his homoeroticism, nor does he truly want to break free from it. Although he does not inherently despise his sexuality, Montresor cannot explore his feelings and therefore feels ostracized, causing him to project his hatred towards society. and himself on Fortunato. By sealing Fortunato, Montresor literally and figuratively walls up his desire and removes the source of his frustration and feeling of being different. Montresor forces himself to completely isolate his sexuality in order to no longer be separated from the norm and be able to reintegrate into society. His intense anguish over something.. 381-400