“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Alan Poe

Mimoza Hasanbelliu

Walton HS

albanian_culture@yahoo.com

Introduction

As a member of your school students’ government, you are aware of peer pressure negative impact on your school environment. From literature, internet research and everyday experience you know that is a connections between peer pressure and personal revenge, don’t forget the tragedy at Columbine HS in Colorado.
Children are faced every day with the potential of violence from their peers. There are approximately 180 school days in a school year and virtually every day there is an incident that involves some form of violence perpetrated by minors. These incidents, in a way or the other, have a negative influence in the youngsters’ personalities. Is peer pressure leading toward personal revenge? How can society fix this detrimental issue within New York City public schools?

Students Task

You will work in groups. Each group will follow the six steps of Public Policy Analyst.

After reading and analyzing the story “The Cask of Amontillado”, the idea “Peer Pressure Leads to Personal Revenge” will guide you as members of Students’ Government in writing the 3 columns monthly editorial of school paper where you will analyze peer pressure related to personal revenge considering facts from the story as well as social facts and events from internet research. You have to justify the pros and cons about the existing public policy, and present your group decision on a new policy which will be implemented in your school.

Process Introduction - Scenario

"The Cask of Amontillado” is a powerful tale of revenge. Montresor, one of the characters of the story, tells his tale of revenge smugly, as he invites the reader to applaud his cleverness. By telling the story from Montresor's point of view, Poe forces the reader to look into the inner workings of a murderer's mind.

Montresor, the sinister narrator of this tale, pledges revenge upon Fortunato for an insult. During the din of the carnival season, the protagonist, Montressor, decides to avenge his honor after receiving insult from Fortunato. Feigning outward congeniality toward his enemy, Montressor shrugs off numerous insults from the drunken Fortunato, inviting Fortunato to his home to sample "a pipe of what passes for Amontillado," an exquisite and rare sherry. Fortunato, the consummate connoisseur, guilelessly accepts Montressor's offer. Hastily the couple makes for Montressor's vaults.

Characters

Although several characters are mentioned in this story, the true focus lies upon Montresor, the diabolical narrator of this tale of horror, who pledges revenge upon Fortunato for an insult. When the two meet during the carnival season, there is a warm greeting with excessive shaking of hands which Montresor attributes to the fact that Fortunato had been drinking. Montresor also appears to be "happy" to see Fortunato since he is planning to murder him. Fortunato's clown or jester's costume appears to be appropriate not only for the carnival season but also for the fact that Montresor intends to make a "fool" out of him.

Setting

The story begins around dusk, one evening during the carnival season in an unnamed European city. The location quickly changes from the lighthearted activities associated with such a festival to the damp, dark catacombs under Montressor's palazzo which helps to establish the sinister atmosphere of the story.

Process

1. Define the social problem in the story “The Cask of Amontillado”, and in peer pressure in our school

IPPA: Define the Problem

2. Use the internet, literature, and short stories to gather information about peer pressure and revenge as social problems.

IPPA: Gather the Evidence

3. After gathering the needed information, you have to identify the causes of peer pressure-revenge.

IPPA: Identify the Causes

4. Is the existing policy effective?

IPPA: Evaluate the Policy

5. Work in groups on effective solutions for a new public policy.

IPPA: Develop Solutions

6. Each group will represent its solution. The most effective will be published.

IPPA: Select the Best Solution

Internet Resources

Handling Peer Pressure

Truth in Advertising - Positive Peer Pressure Postcard

tcnew

http://www.homestead.com/ccifrn/files/peer_pressure.jpg

Columbine HS Massacre: Philosophical Origins

Other Resources

The Great American Short Stories (Part 2)

Graphic Organizer Software

Dictionary

Evaluation

Criteria

Points

	4	3	2	1
Main/Topic Idea Sentence	Main/Topic idea sentence is clear, correctly placed, and is restated in the closing sentence.	Main/Topic idea sentence is either unclear or incorrectly placed, and is restated in the closing sentence.	Main/Topic idea sentence is unclear and incorrectly placed, and is restated in the closing sentence.	Main/Topic idea sentence is unclear and incorrectly placed, and is not restated in the closing sentence.	____
Supporting Detail Sentence(s)	Paragraph(s) have three or more supporting detail sentences that relate back to the main idea.	Paragraph(s) have two supporting detail sentences that relate back to the main idea.	Paragraph(s) have one supporting detail sentence that relate back to the main idea.	Paragraph(s) have no supporting detail sentences that relate back to the main idea.	____
Elaborating Detail Sentence(s)	Each supporting detail sentence has three or more elaborating detail sentences.	Each supporting detail sentence has at least two elaborating detail sentences.	Each supporting detail sentence has one elaborating detail sentence.	Each supporting detail sentence has no elaborating detail sentence.	____
Legibility	Legible handwriting, typing, or printing.	Marginally legible handwriting, typing, or printing.	Writing is not legible in places.	Writing is not legible.	____
Mechanics and Grammar	Paragraph has no errors in punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.	Paragraph has one or two punctuation, capitalization, and spelling errors.	Paragraph has three to five punctuation, capitalization, and spelling errors.	Paragraph has six or more punctuation, capitalization, and spelling errors.	____
				Total---->	____

Standard

English

v Students select information appropriate to the purpose of their investigation and relate ideas from one text to another

v Students select and use strategies they have been taught for note taking, organizing, and categorizing information

v Students gather and interpret information from children's reference books, magazines, textbooks, electronic bulletin boards, audio and media presentations, oral interviews, and from such forms as charts, graphs, maps and diagrams.

v Students compare and synthesize information from different sources.

Social Studies

v Students know the social and economic characteristics, such as customs, traditions, child-bearing practices, ways of making a living, education, socialization practices, gender roles, foods and religious and spiritual beliefs that distinguish different cultures and civilizations.

Conclusion

In conclusion there is the fact that many of young killers were teased and bullied, taunted and tormented by the other students which explains the liaison between peer pressure and revenge. Youngsters alienated from their peers become angry and hostile outcasts. The lack of parental supervision is also a contributing cause. And, of course, guns are more readily available. In modern times we consider peer pressure because is a major factor in the increase of criminality in teens.

Think about this: Is Montressor’s revenge based on peer pressure or wounded honor?

Considering his age and time when he lived, Montresor vowed revenge against Fortunato in an effort to support his time-honored family motto

“No one can attack me without being punished.”

Poe does not intend for the reader to sympathize with Montresor because he has been wronged by Fortunato, but rather to judge him. Telling the story from Montresor's point of view, intensifies the effect of moral shock and horror. Once again, the reader is invited to delve into the inner workings of a sinister mind.