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Chapter 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE
Introduction

Over the past century, people who usually sought revenge for unfair treatment
or injustices. As a result, the probability of people who commit a wrongdoing or harm
them increases over time. Thus, even in the 19th century, people sought revenge for
those who hurt them. The motive is to let the assailant be responsible for the lawlessness
and suffer the corresponding weight of pain. Those who experienced being humiliated
became enraged with the desire to avenge due to the unbearable resentment. This act
usually occurs from traumatic encounters and grievances in society. Revenge is an action
in response to some perceived harm or wrongdoing by another party that is determined
to inflict damage, injury, discomfort, or punishment to the party judged responsibly
(Aquino [Link].53)

The stories chosen for this research are The Case of Lady Sannox, written by
Arthur Conan Doyle, and The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe. The Case of Lady
Sannox is a short story written by Arthur Conan Doyle and published in November 1893.
It features an arrogant surgeon, Douglas Stone, who is in love with the married Lady
Sannox, one of the most beautiful women in London. In one incident, the surgeon is on
his way to a rendezvous with Lady Sannox when a Turkish merchant begged to operate
on the latter's wife, who has cut her lip with a poison envenomed scimitar. The doctor
informed the woman gets to die if the poison stays on her body. Because of his desire
to meet his lover, his need for money, his professional arrogance, and the opinion of the
Turk that any delay would kill his wife, the surgeon goes ahead with the operation on
the heavily drugged wife that face was obscure by a veil. After he has operated, Dr.
Stone realizes his patient is Lady Sannox, and Turkish, the husband, believes the
disfigurement will be morally right for his wife. The surgeon suffers a breakdown.

The Cask of Amontillado was written by Edgar Allan Poe and published in 1847,
and it talks about pride, revenge, and anger. It will employ the emotion of every
individual that we have a dark side that we are hiding from other people. The story talks
about the character named Montresor and the victim Fortunato. It indicates in the story
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that Montresor was being hurt so many times by Fortunato, and he came up with the
idea of revenge. In the plot summary of ''The Cask of Amontillado'', Montresor explains
that a man called Fortunato has wronged him thousand times over, but his insult is the
final blow that has provoked his vow to revenge. He continues to assure us that he has
given Fortunato no insight into the fact that Montresor plotted to kill him, and he plans
to use Fortunato's knowledge of wine to lure him to his death.

This proposed literary research study aims to investigate the prevalent indicators
found in selected literary stories.
Theoretical Framework
This stylistic investigation study on the prevalent markers of the stories of Arthur
Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe is grounded and supported by two literary theories:
New Criticism/ Formalistic Theory and the Mimetic Theory.

New Criticism Literary Theory was first introduced in the 20th century in America
by John Crowe Ransom. It had created by the formalist movement concerning the
formalistic approach is the nature of the text itself, and it uses the concrete, specific
example from the text to validate interpretation. The New Criticism/Formalistic approach
is a “self-contained” object that understands the close reading of the literary piece. It
focuses on studying literature by importance in closely examining the literary works
wherein, and how its function, and used to analyze the text itself of the two select stories
on how the content interpreted. The rule of the New Criticism approach in literature will
help the researcher investigate the function of the characters that will intend to overview
how the theme and symbolism of the story imitate reality.

The Mimetic Literary Theory was used by Plato during the 5th century, Mimetic
theory is a term used in the literary criticism. It describes the process of imitation or
mimicry it talks about the everyday work experience of the characters of the story, the
problems and issues they faces. This give emphasis on the interpretation of what is the
issues, problems that the characters faces in the literary text. The Mimetic theory relates
the issue in its social representation by viewing literature as an essential part of life.

In this study, the work of the New Criticism approach and Mimetic theory will
investigate the prevalent markers of the two selected stories that urge characters to seek
revenge.
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Schematic Diagram

Social
Representation

Figure 1. Shows the research paradigm of the study

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Problem Statement

This study aims to investigate the prevalent indicators of the selected stories
written by Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe. It seeks to address the following
concerns:

1. New Criticism Literary Theory:

a. Characterization

b. Themes

c. Symbolism

2. Mimetic Literary Theory:

a. Social Representation

Significance of the Study

This study is beneficial to the various individuals as follows: Students, Teachers

and Future researchers.

Students

This study aims to enhance the students’ interest in Anglo- American Literature. It
will serve as a medium in their educational growth towards exploring the world of
literature. This study is highly beneficial to those students who want to take English
courses. It provides techniques on how the researchers use writing styles in analyzing
literature through literary criticism.

Teachers

This study enables the English Instructors to discover the potential in teaching
literature as a research output. It will serve as a guide in learning that will help the school
produce competent, expert, and knowledgeable products. This study can be a help used
as their basis in introducing the ways to critique a story through theories to the students.
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Future Researchers

The result of this study will help future researchers to have further information
when conducting similar studies. The study will serve as a guide and a reference for
similar literary analyses they wanted to investigate.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

This study aims to investigate the prevalent markers in the selected stories of
Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Case of Lady Sannox,” and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of
Amontillado”. It will discover the characterization, themes, and symbolism found in both
stories using the formalistic approach, thus examining the social representation of the
study through the use of mimetic literary theory. The subjects are assessed in accordance
with the understanding and interpretation of this study. It is limited to two stories of
American and British literature and with the two authors mentioned. Other stories written
by other authors are not covered by the study.

Definitions of Terms

To have a better understanding of the study. The following terms used were defined
conceptually and operationally.

Human Power. It refers to the act human possesses in controlling someone or

something to achieve revenge.

Human Desire and Pleasure. It refers to an act of doing something above the law,
like committing violence to achieve happiness and enjoyment.

Human Weaknesses. It refers to the fragile side of human nature that easily gets
tempted by their interest and desire. It is a deception of the senses that makes people
victims of revenge.

Prevalent Markers. It refers to a commonly favored practice or belief over a large

area at a particular time (Collins English Dictionary, 2012). In this study, it refers to the
common indicators, signs and changes experienced by the victim of humiliation in the
social representation of characters in the two selected stories that urges them to seek
revenge.
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Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the related literature and related studies from different
authors who have contributed to the present study and assist much in ideas, concepts,
and principles. These studies are significant because they provide the stepping-stone and
directions in discussing the problem of this study.

Related Literature

New Critics postulates the structure and meaning of the text are personally
connected and not be analyzed separately, as they sought to exclude the reader's
response, the author’s intention, historical and cultural contexts, and moralistic bias from
their analysis to come up with a Formalist criticism. They looked for paradox, ambiguity,
irony, and tension in prose to help create the most unified interpretation of the text.
Correspondingly, detective stories are a special branch of crime fiction that focuses
attention on the examination of evidence that will lead to the solution of the mystery that
oftentimes uses a Formalistic approach to describe markers and give hints to the readers.
Great Detective Conan is one of the Japanese Manga’s greatest detective stories. Its name
is taken from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle making it Detective Conan. (Wiki,2021) states the
story is about the adventures of Shinichi Kudo (also known as Jimmy Kudo in Case
Closed), a young detective prodigy who is inadvertently shrunk into a child's body due to
a poison he was force-fed by members of a criminal syndicate. Neighbor and family friend
Professor Agasa strongly suggested Shinichi covered his identity to prevent them from
killing him and the people he cares about, so Shinichi takes the name Conan Edogawa.
He goes to live with his childhood friend Ran Mouri and her father, Kogoro, and tries to
use Kogoro's detective agency as a way to find the people who shrank him without letting
Ran figure out who he is.

Edgar Allan Poe is known for his horrific plots and dark themes and is one of the
most famous American writers of all time. In his writing, he often incorporates many types
of literary devices to grab the attention of his readers and to effectively establish a chilling
and mysterious effect. He did Gothic writing that uses the concept of vengeance, mystery,
and the supernatural to bring fear and terror to society. (Lee, 2009) points out that the
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detective stories such as “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” by Edgar Allan Poe often use
another character to enhance the personal and professional qualities of the detective. Poe
uses a better characterization of a detective as M. Dupin, who is a recluse, an eccentric,
aristocratic young man with a keen deductive mind. He has a friend who marvels at
Dupin’s mental prowess and is eager to be his narrator. Dupin investigates the evidence
in a given case and solves the crime after the regular police have exhausted their
methods, which becomes one of the commonplaces of detective stories.

Theme is a central topic, subject, or message within a text. It gives meaning and
interest to the readers as it could either be bad or good. Revenge is one of the most
interesting themes in literature. This motivates Edmond Dantes to go on to his quest and
revenge in ‘’The Count of Monte Cristo’’ by Alexandre Dumas. It also plays on the theme
of power because, as soon as the count takes a position of power, he avenges those who
hurt him along the way. Likely, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
features a main character who takes revenge on those who falsely accused her in the
previous book in the series, The Girl Who Played with Fire. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth
illustrates revenge as a theme because Macduff does everything to punish Macbeth after
he learns of his family's death. Similarly, (Emrys and Pillsworth, 2016) asserted Neil
Gaiman’s The Study in Emerald in an understandable summary featuring revenge in its
theme. The story revolves with these friends, Sherlock Holmes who is a Consulting
Detective, and John Watson who is an exsoldier, doctor and the narrator of the story.
The Londoncops enlist all excellent detectives to help catch the culprit behind the murder
of Prince Franz Drago of Bohemia, a nephew of Queen Victoria. The mystery is about a
corpse found at a dilapidated house in Shoreditch, London with the word "RACHE" written
in blood on the wall beside the body. RACHE is a German word for Revenge and signature
of the Restorationist - the killer. However, with John and Lestrade, they help Sherlock
investigate and solve the case although the killer is still on watch. Queen Victoria,
welcomed them in the palace to recognize their effort on the case. She is pleased with
their job and finally closes the case.

Agatha Cristie’s ‘’Murder on the Orient Express’ ’is a gloriously sumptuous visual
feast (Radio Times, 2017). It is a lavish train ride through Europe that quickly unfolds into
one of the most stylish, suspenseful and thrilling mysteries ever told. It explores readers
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to the thirteen passengers stuck on the Orient Express in a snowstorm, where everyone
is a suspect, with them a murdered body and a Belgian detective to keep them company.
An intricate mystery circulating around a group of strangers cut off from the world where
Poirot exhibits not only the power of his little grey cells but his concern and compassion
for humanity. The plot of the story is where Agatha Christie includes the kidnapping of
Charles Lindbergh’s son, a traumatic real- life mystery involving murder and extortion that
had yet to be solved when Murder on the Orient Express was published. As for the setting,
Christie had long professed a love of the Orient Express, finally achieving her dream of
travelling on it in 1928 with her first solo trip abroad. In writing the story, she
painstakingly noted the details of the carriages, clues and other descriptions.

Carrie, which is authored by Stephen King, focuses on Carrie White, an outcast,

bullied high school girl who uses telekinetic powers to take revenge on her tormentors.
Much of the book is presented as a series of documents such as newspaper clippings,
magazine articles, letters, and excerpts from books to explain how Carrie destroyed the
fictional town of Chamberlain, Maine while striking back at her sadistic classmates.
(LimeGong, 2015)

Related Studies

Dominguez, (2019) finds out in his study that The Lady of Sannox by Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle is among the iconic stories in the Victorian era because it tells us about
women’s condition in their society. The voices of Victorian women and analyzes the ways
in which their stories from the selected Victorian stories were told or were not told, and
women were abused. It is important to understand the ways that the past informs the
present and the ways that past values persist in the present so that issues such as
gendered violence and assault.

Mimesis in literary pieces show events that are a reflection of reality. In

‘’Contemplating COVID-19 through disease and death in three short stories by Edgar Allan
Poe’’ (Dewi, 2021) concluded the following findings resonate with the impact of the
current COVID-19 pandemic.

(1) Fear of the disease results in the characters’ added distress, (2) The characters’
aberrant behaviour as to overprotect themselves is exacerbated by the dreadful situation,
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and (3) Poe’s obsession with dread and death to shock the readers can be historically
traced through his own inner predicaments, ill-health, and the 1832 Cholera contagion.
The study offers a reflection on the current pandemic time through a close reading of
selected American classic literary works. The imagination of fear, isolation, and mask-
wearing in Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories is reflected with the new expressions of the
COVID-19 pandemic. ‘The Masque of the Red Death’, ‘The Cask of Amontillado’, and ‘The
Sphinx’ are chosen for examination using the thematic analysis method. Repeated reading
of the short stories shows that parallels can be drawn between these stories and today’s
phenomenon about anxiety, social restriction, and health protocols.

In “The Resident Patient,” Doyle exemplifies a story about Blessington, a bank

robber who turned informer against the rest of the gang, one of which was hanged and
the other three sentenced to fifteen years. The previous gang members manage to gain
access to Blessington’s residence. Then, he was found hanging from a ceiling hook in his
own bedroom. Holmes depicts that his shocking experience of seeing the hanging dead
man is like seeing an inhuman and ghostly figure with an irregular and ravaged body.
Holmes concludes that three of the former gang members are involved in murdering him
through the faked suicide. The death of Blessington is yet another parody of the course
of justice. The ghosts of retribution from Blessington’s past inflict the same punishment
on him as he consequently did to his old fellow gang members. Both Henry’s ghostly and
ravaged body in “The Crooked Man” and horrible dead body of Blessington hanged from
the ceiling hook correlate haunting inhuman figures, and the purposes of these haunting
affiliate a “return injustice with a form of justice” and bring a sort of horrible effect to
people who unexpectedly see them. The study reveals that many of Doyle's detective
stories operate on the margin between detective fiction and ghost story. They contain a
device of supernatural story, the figure whose purpose is to exact revenge for a
wrongdoing in the past. (Cook, 2014, as cited by Wang, 2018)

Likely, the gothic portrait of the ancestors is a key to find out the truth of the
murder mystery and a means by which Holmes confirms his suspicions and enables him
to close the case. It is Sir Hugo, Sir Henry’s ancestor, who motivates Holmes the idea of
reincarnation of this ancestor as Stapleton to link him to descendants of Baskerville family
and consequently to realize that he is the real murderer behind the scene. The study
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implies that Stapleton is depicted as the spirit of Sir Hugo reincarnated due to his evil
purpose to regain the lost inheritance of the Baskerville estate. He represents the
embodiment of another type of retributive ghost in an endless search for gratification
against the legitimate forces” of inheritance in return and seeks to take revenge on
Baskerville family members for their past “wrongdoings and evil deeds. (Cook, 2014, as
cited by Wang, 2018)

Putri, (2018) concluded upon analysis on Agatha Cristie’s Murder on the Orient
Express that it tells a family and their revenge. It is explained that the background of the
murder is on the train. It begins from heartache that is upsetting to be a revenge on a
grandmother and mother, who is Mrs. Hubbard. The revenge caused by Cassetti, he
abducted and kills Daisy Armstrong, a little grandchild of Mrs. Hubbard. It made Daisy's
mother depressed and her baby was born prematurely, then they died together. A few
days after his wife death, John Armstrong felt lonely and depressed, then he has suicide
with his gun. On the other hand, Pierre Michel is also grieving. It is because his daughter
Susanne committed suicide. She was accused of conspiring with Cassetti to kidnap Daisy
but she is not. After her death, the truth appeared that she was innocent.
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Chapter 3

METHODOLOY

This chapter presents the research methodology of the prevalent markers in the
two chosen stories. In this part, the author outlines the research design, the methods of
data collection, the type of data analysis, and the analytical framework of the study.

Research Design

This research paper employs the qualitative method in gathering information. The
use of a qualitative approach focuses on the interpretative-analytic study on the select
stories of Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe. Through critical reading, its method
focused only on the text of the literary piece rather than quantification. It is designed to
investigate the chosen stories used in this research paper. The approach entails two
aspects: descriptive since it involves collective and descriptive analysis in introducing the
selected characters of the stories; and interpretative, since the study aims to address the
problem concerning the subject of this study. The researcher will extract ideas from both
stories that are needed in this study. Other sources for added information about the two
stories are taken from other research studies that did a discourse study about the said
stories.

Data Collection

The researcher will utilize the available published story The Case of Lady Sannox
by Arthur Doyle and The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe. These stories are used
by the researchers to extract and obtain the necessary answers for the study. The
researcher also made use of other research studies that have used such stories for any
literary discourse.

Data Analysis

The researcher will investigate the prevalent markers in the select stories of Arthur
Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe to extract the pertinent information to answer queries in this
study.
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The Analytical Framework of the Study

The following framework will be used in the analysis of the select stories of:

Table 1. Shows table for the New Criticism Theory

STORIES New Criticism

Literary Theory

Characterization Theme Symbolism

“The Case of Lady

Sannox”
“The Cask of

Amontillado”

Table 2. Shows table for the Mimetic Theory.

STORIES Mimetic Literary

Theory

Social Representation

Human Power Human Desire and Human

Pleasure Weaknesses
“The Case of Lady

Sannox”
“The Cask of

Amontillado”
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CHAPTER 4
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
This chapter provides the presentation of collected data. It presented
information gathered by the researcher from reliable sources to analyze and validate
the interpretation of the two select author of Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe,
which helps to determine the prevalent markers in the stories “The Case of Lady
Sannox” and “The Cask of Amontillado”.

Table 1. Shows the New Criticism Approach of the study.

STORIES New
Criticism Literary Theory
Characterization Theme Symbolism

“The Case of Lady Marion Revenge Chrysanthemums

Sannox - To make lady - Symbolizes Lord
Lady Sannox”
- The Dynamic Sannox and Sannox’s
character and her lover paid happiness, own
the lover their adultery. pleasure that
(character - To regain the became
archetype) fading distasteful
- She is having happiness after his marriage.
an affair with cause by his
Dr. Douglas marriage to Dr. Douglas Stone
Stone. Lady Sannox. - became the
instrument for
Lord Sannox Lord Sannox to
- The round successfully
character and execute his
the outlaw ( revenge.
character
archetype) Money/Gold
- Shifted himself - was used to
as Hamil Ali manipulate Dr.
later in the Douglas
story to avenge unknowingly
his wife and her accomplish
lover. revenge in favor
of Lord Sannox.
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“The Cask of Montresor Revenge Amontillado

Amontillado” - The static character - Journey revealed - For Fortunato it
and the Devil Figure the vengeance symbolizes
(character sought by a pleasure and
archetype). mad man, and enjoyment but
- shown as sly, the principle for Montresor it
sadistic, irrational, behind murder symbolizes
manipulative and as a Fortunato's
vengeful. punishment weaknesses and
- These justified by a mean to get
characteristics lead revenge. his revenge.
to the death of
Fortunato. His Carnival
reaction to - Viewed as lively
Fortunato's insult and fun and it
compels him to end juxtaposed
their relationship catacombs.
and plot out his
vengeance. Catacombs
- a symbol of evil
Fortunato and death.
- He is a connoisseur,
insensitive, careless Fortunato's jester
and foolish. outfit
- He insulted - symbolizes
Montresor for so Fortunato's
many times that foolishness.
caused him to
Fortunato's name
death.
- an ironic
symbol, and it
represents the
misfortune that
Fortunato
endured at the
hands of
Montresor.

Montresor's
family crest and
motto
- Represents
Montresor's plan
to kill Fortunato
and his desire
for revenge.
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Table 1. Illustrates the enumerations of the characters, the theme, and the
symbolism inflicted in the two stories under the New Criticism approach in analyzing
literature, which determines the prevalent markers. The story of Doyle’s The Case of Lady
Sannox and Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado involves characters that portray analogical
representation in terms of their personalities and traits in connection to its theme of
betrayal, jealousy, vengeance, and most of all, revenge.

In The Case of Lady Sannox, Lady Sannox became discontented with her marriage
to Lord Sannox, explored another way of entertainment, and found her path to her lover.
As “she had a liking for new experiences, and was gracious to most men who wooed
her” which agreed to her references in the story. Lady Sannox is labeled the only one to
his lover’s heart. Doctor Douglas Stone’s intimate relationship with her became the huge
factor that contributed to the behavioral changes developed by the husband. Due to the
unbearable circumstance that hit his egocentric characteristic, he disguised himself as
Hamil Ali. The “quiet, silent, neutral-tinted man, …much given to gardening, and full
of home-like habits. He had at one time been fond of acting”, Lord Sannox turned
himself into a narcissist, took action under his desire to cover up the happiness in his
marriage. On the other hand, the main characters in the story The Cask of Amontillado
are Montresor and Fortunato, who first appear to be best friends, but the truth is that
they live in a world of conflict. Montresor was undoubtedly manipulative and sadistic. His
characteristics eventually showed at most because he conflicted with Fortunato, “the
thousands of injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured
upon insult, I vowed revenge” which explains the motive of revenge by Montresor
towards his ‘friend’ Fortunato. His unforgiving spirit and immoral principle led him to
murder. For illustration, Fortunato was aware of Montresor’s motto, “No one insults me
with impunity” but go ahead insulting him. Montresor, with his pride, promised himself
that “I will not only punish but punish with impunity". Fortunato’s carelessness and
insensitivity allowed Montresor to extract his traits. “You jest,” Montresor exclaimed,
recoiling a few paces. “But let us proceed to the Amontillado.” It happened right after
Montresor showed him the trowel. Fortunato feels fear for a moment, but then he
foolishly casts aside. The round characteristics of Lord Sannox and the static personality
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of Montresor created a resemblance as the result of the foolishness of Doctor Douglas

Stone, and Fortunato thus becoming an ultimately victim of revenge.

The Case of Lady Sannox used the name of Lord Sannox as Lady Sannox’s
husband to disclose the theme of revenge as can be risky but rewarding, which is also
inflicted in the persona of Montresor after he buried alive Fortunato. Both the characters
of Montresor and Lord Sannox are met with the urgency to take action to punish the
people who gradually mistreat them. Montresor is motivated by hate to take revenge on
Fortunato after Fortunato greatly insulted his family and caused him a thousand injuries,
“The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured
upon insult, I vowed revenge”. While, Lord Sannox is eager to seek revenge after being
betrayed by his wife, Lady Sannox, who’s having an affair with a surgeon named Douglas
Stone. Although, the concept of revenge for a love affair is vague within the intrigued part
on addressing the conflict between Lord Sannox’s silence amidst the controversy was
strange. “It was quite an interesting problem whether he was devoid of sense, or
miserably wanting in spirit. Did he know his lady's ways and condone them, or was he
a mere blind, doting fool? … Bitter and plain were the comments among men upon his
conduct. There was but one who had a good word to say for him, and he was the
most silent member in the smoking-room”. This phrase from the story agreed to the
agreement concerning the actions of Lord Sannox. One thing is for sure, the crime of
passion done, but the intention not only to punish, but also taught the wife a lesson ‘for
her own good’ as he said "It was very necessary for Marion, this operation, … not
physically, but morally, you know, morally” which connects to Lord Sannox being so
much of himself, as well as an indication of his revenge as a husband. Montresor planned
to lure Fortunato into his family catacombs by using Fortunato's love for wine as he
mentioned that he has a pipe of Amontillado but is not sure of its authenticity , “My dear
Fortunato, you are luckily met. How remarkably well you are looking to-day! But I
have received a pipe of what passes for Amontillado, and I have my doubts.”
Montresor believes “he is out to get justice by baiting Fortunato” which it seems
Fortunato was too naive to even perceive. While Lord Sannox disguised himself as Hamil
Ali to consult Doctor Stone on an urgent matter with a patient who allegedly suffered from
 17

poison. He assisted the patient by offering plenty of money that convinced him to be part
of the wound of his secret lover, Lady Sannox. This scenario helps the readers to believe
in the application of revenge to the world setting that both Montresor and Lord Sannox,
the murderer, while Fortunato, Lady Sannox, and Dr. Stone, the victims, could be seen as
in existence, thus their characteristics inanimate reality. The symbolism of the selected
stories implies the qualities and ideas that link the characters to seek revenge. Lord
Sannox was described as “… happier with a spud and a watering-can among his orchids
and chrysanthemums” before he got married, thus the word ‘chrysanthemums’
represents his personality being a narcissistic sociopath who initially planned a murder. It
symbolized his happiness narrated in the stories because Lord Sannox was once fond of
gardening. Hence chrysanthemums fade their bloom, lost interest in doing his hobbies
after their marriage with Lady Sannox. “Since his marriage his early hobby had become
distasteful to him”. Therefore, the chrysanthemums reflected in the disturbed mind of
Lord Sannox gave more affliction about himself and took no account of others for him to
bring back the happiness he once lost in marriage, then revenge took place. After the
revenge, he achieved the chrysanthemums he longed for in the length of his union with
Lady Sannox. Interestingly, his way of revenge made it obvious to conclude that he does
not want Lady Sannox to commit adultery with anyone anymore. He says, "It is better to
loose a lip than a life." Instead of killing Lady Sannox, he planned to use Dr. Douglas
Stone to cut her lips. Cutting the lips signifies withdrawal of the only beauty the lady has
and conquers the happiness he once lost. Doctor Stone is supposed to meet Lady Sannox
the moment Hamil Ali visited him begged for help as a potential client. The money blinded
him to accepting the patient due to his numerous overdue credits. "There are one
hundred pounds there," said Hamil Ali. As soon as Doctor Stone saw it, “glanced at his
watch. An hour would not make it too late to visit Lady Sannox. He had been there
later. And the fee was an extraordinarily high one. He had been pressed by his
creditors lately, and he could not afford to let such a chance pass. He would go”. It
shows how Doctor Stone needs money and would do anything to earn by exercising his
profession. Besides, as for Doctor Stone, “this was already an interesting case”. If he
would accept the offer, had the money, and became more known to handle rare cases.
 18

In addition, the character of Douglas Stone could also be an emphasis of his

immense contribution that accomplished the revenge in favor of Lord Sannox because of
him, revenge won't be of success. On the other hand, the characters represent numerous
examples of symbolism in the story of The Cask of Amontillado. Fortunato’s name
symbolically, as an ironic device. Though his name means “the fortunate one” in Italian,
Fortunato meets an unfortunate fate as the victim of Montresor’s revenge. Fortunato adds
to the irony of his name by wearing the costume of a court jester. This outfit, which
includes a ''conical cap and bells,'' was dressed as a clown which symbolizes his
foolishness. “The man wore motley. He had on a tight- fitting parti- striped dress and
his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells that looked him so fool. I was
so pleased to see him that I thought I should never have done wronging his hand.”
Montresor said. It's interesting to notice that despite the insults, Fortunato is still willing
to follow Montresor through an underground cemetery and was gullible enough to believe
that Montresor had procured a cask and that he was willing to share with him. While
Fortunato plays in jest, Montresor sets out to fool him, with murderous results. The energy
and liveliness of the carnival are juxtaposed with the catacombs, a symbol of evil and
death in the story, "It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of
the carnival season, that I encountered my friend. He accosted me with excessive
warmth, for he had been drinking much." This all makes sense because Montresor, who
killed Fortunato, took him from the carnival and murdered him in the catacombs where in
the "supreme madness of the carnival season" represents the supreme madness of
Montresor’s mind. The freedom and abandon of the carnival atmosphere is contrasted
with the confinement of the catacombs and, eventually of Fortunato himself. In order to
take Montresor’s revenge, He tricks Fortunato into accompanying him into the catacombs
by letting him taste the Amontillado that represents as to Fortunato’s weakness, "As you
are engaged, I am on my way to Luchesi. If anyone has a critical turn it is he. He will
tell me and yet some fools will have it that his taste is a match for your own." said
Montresor. Then Fortunato follows Montresor into the catacombs, “Let us go,
nevertheless. The cold is merely nothing. Amontillado! You have been imposed upon.
And as for Luchesi, he cannot distinguish Sherry from Amontillado.” While Montresor
 19

and Fortunato are wandering along through the catacombs, Montresor describes his
family's arms, which contain an image of a golden foot crusader as a serpent which is the
Montresor’s family crest and motto that represents Montresor's plan to kill Fortunato and
his desire for revenge, “A huge human foot d‘or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a
serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel, with the motto "Nemo me
impune lacessit" which means “No one attacks me with impunity". The golden foot
represents Montresor and his plans to murder Fortunato, the snake.
The Cask of Amontillado and The Case of Lady Sannox interprets the common
indicators, signs, and changes experienced by the victim of humiliation in the portrayal
of the characters of Fortunato, Lady Sannox, and Dr. Douglas Stone. However, the
murder resulted in different dismissive situations, envy, and unethical. In the sense of
Montresor’s vicious act, the level of offense he got from Fortunato is not enough to justify
the brutal revenge. Hence it manifested his traits of being a psychopath, having
manipulative behavior by getting things in his own will and way. Meanwhile, Lord Sannox
is a narcissistic sociopath, personality depends only on the benefit of his own, getting his
satisfaction. Lord Sannox's case is so much to bear betrayed by his wife, the intensity of
his anger and vengeance is not an acceptable resolution to address him as the victim.
Those who commit adultery are punishable by law. He might need not have killed just
like he paves his way to end the mystery of his marriage with Lady Sannox. Thinking that
killing her will make the suffering, anguish, and pain vanish. This kind of character is in
realistic representation of the people in society, neglected.
 20

Table 2. Shows the Mimetic approach of the study.

STORIES Mimetic Literary Theory

Social Representation

Human Power Human Desire and Human

Pleasure Weaknesses
“The Case of Lady Wealth Greediness Money

Sannox”
“The Cask of Social Injustices Alcohol addiction Alcohol

Amontillado”

Table 2. Illustrates the enumerations of the social representation inflicted on the

stories “The Case of Lady Sannox” and “The Cask of Amontillado”. The two will be
analyzed and interpreted based on the Mimetic approach in literary theory about the
social representation of the characters and imitation of the themes to real-life scenarios
by pointing out key points.
Human Power

Both in the stories manifested human power that urged characters to avenge to
get what they want then it made them feel invincible. In Arthur Conan Doyle's The Case
of Lady Sannox, human power was specifically shown by possessing more wealth. Hamil
Ali was a rich man who used his money to condone revenge by offering more of it to the
surgeon. The moment he accepted the money, he agreed to operate the Turk's wife
without knowing that she was his lover. The Turk's power had controlled Doctor Stone to
make the revenge smooth and successful. Douglas Stone hesitated. To refund that
hundred pounds was no pleasant matter. But of course if he left the case he must return
the money. And if the Turk were right and the woman died, his position before a coroner
might be an embarrassing one.

The Turk says, “And you assure me that an operation is needful.”

 21

“I swear it by all that I hold sacred.”

“The disfigurement will be frightful.”

“I can understand that the mouth will not be a pretty one to kiss.”

Correspondingly, The Cask of Amontillado presented human power as an evident

motivation of Montresor's family motto that nobody can harm him with impunity.
Fortunato's insult then caused Montresor to vow revenge on him by burying him alive
inside their family's catacomb while he pleaded for mercy. With his power, there were
social injustices as Fortunato did not achieve justice for almost 50 years from his
reminiscing. Montresor then was neither guilty, caught, nor legally penalized.

"I respond that my family shield portrays “a huge human foot d’or, in a field azure;
the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel.” The motto,
in Latin, is “nemo me impune lacessit,” that is, “no one attacks me with impunity.”

Human Desire and Pleasure

The two select stories reflected reality when greediness and intense desire for
something overtook the character's principles and became a victim of revenge. Douglas
Stone's desire for money overpowered him to hustle the operation to the woman whose
lips were poison that would led her to die. His greediness for wealth used to trap him in
operating a supposedly healthy, sleeping woman that turned out to be his lover. The
disfigurement went successful. Lord Sannox triumphed for revenge on both of them. The
doctor suffered a breakdown. "Douglas Stone glanced at his watch. An hour would not
make it too late to visit Lady Sannox. He had been there later. And the fee was an
extraordinarily high one. He had been pressed by his creditors lately, and he could not
afford to let such a chance pass. He would go." Also, Fortunato's craving for Amontillado
led to his tragic fate. He went along with Montresor to the catacombs where there are
barrels of Amontillado found there. He knew he would not miss the chance tasting them.
Into to the caracombs, Fortunato still carried an Amontillado while Montresor kept offering
him in it that made him very intoxicated. In reality, substance abuse is a problem in
society. Higher tendencies of murder happen because of substance abuse alcohol
 22

involvement. "We walk into a crypt, where human bones decorate three of the four
walls. The bones from the fourth wall have been thrown down on the ground. On the
exposed wall is a small recess, where I tell Fortunato that the Amontillado is being
stored. Fortunato, now heavily intoxicated, goes to the back of the recess. I then
suddenly chains the slow-footed Fortunato to a stone."

Human Weaknesses

Human weaknesses were observed in both selected stories and used by the
antagonist to do revenge. Douglas Stone's weakness is money, along with his arrogance.
He also believed Lord Sannox's plea to operating on the woman because she would die
if the poison stayed. Stone agreed to do the operation because Lord Sannox presented
billions of money. He wanted more money to become commercially wealthy, so the Turk
used his weakness to teach the surgeon and Lady Sannox a lesson.

"I could come in the morning, but I have an engagement which prevents me
from seeing your wife tonight.” The Turk’s answer was a singular one. He pulled the
string which closed the mouth of the chamois-leather bag and poured a flood of gold onto
the table. “There are one hundred pounds there,” said the Turk, and I promise you
that it will not take you an hour. I have a cab ready at the door.” Comparatively,
Montresor lured Fortunato through his knowledge of Amontillado as he knew Fortunato
would not miss any chance of tasting it. He used his weakness of Amontillado to execute
the revenge. "I tell Fortunato that if he is too busy, I will ask a man named Luchesi to
taste it. Fortunato considers Luchesi a competitor and claims that this man could not
tell Amontillado from other types of sherry. He is anxious to taste the wine and to
determine for me whether or not it is truly Amontillado. He insists that we should go
to my family's vaults."
 23

Chapter 5

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

This chapter presented the summary of findings, conclusion and recommendations

to determine the Prevalent Markers of the Select Stories of Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar
Allan Poe.

Summary of Findings

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalent indicators of the selected
stories by Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe. Also, this study seeks to address the
characterization themes and symbolism found in the two stories utilizing the new criticism
literary approach and its social representation under the Mimetic literary theory.

The following were the findings of the study:

1. Characterization - Both the characters of Montresor and Lord Sannox developed

manipulative and revengeful behavior met with the urgency to take action to punish
the people who gradually mistreat them. Montresor sadistic held a principle that
nobody in this world could ever touched his pride without getting any punishment
in return. While Lord Sannox disguised himself as Hamil Ali, to consult Doctor Stone
on an urgent matter with a patient who is allegedly suffering from poison. Dr. Stone
assisted a patient by offering a huge amount of money that convinced him to take
part in hurting his secret lover, Lady Sannox. This scenario helps the readers to
believe in the application of revenge to the world setting that both Montresor and
Lord Sannox, the murderer, while Fortunato, Lady Sannox, and Dr. Stone, the
victims, could be seen as real persons, thus their characteristics inanimate reality.
2. Theme - Montresor is motivated by his hate to take revenge on Fortunato after
Fortunato greatly insulted his family and caused him “a thousand injuries” which it
seems he was too naive to even perceive. While Lord Sannox is eager to seek
revenge after being betrayed by his wife, Lady Sannox, who’s having an affair with
a surgeon named Douglas Stone.
 24

3. Symbolism - Fortunato's love for wine as an excuse to lure him into his family’s
catacombs. Montresor uses the amontillado, and Lord Sannox uses Doctor Douglas
Stone as the main contributor for helping carry out their revenge.

4. The Cask of Amontillado and The Case of Lady Sannox interpret the indicators,
signs, and changes experienced by the victim of humiliation in the portrayal of the
characters of Fortunato, Lady Sannox, and Dr. Douglas Stone. The characters of
Montresor and Lord Sannox have Psychological problems wherein Montresor
manifested his traits of being a psychopath, having manipulative behavior by
getting things in his own will and way. Lord Sannox is a narcissistic sociopath whose
personality depends only on the benefit of his own, getting his satisfaction.

5. Social Representation - Both of the stories manifest events evident in real life.
Revenge motivates the contender and uses the protagonist’s weakness to victimize
them. Wealth is power. Lord Sannox, also known as the Turk, offers a hundred
pounds and Douglas cannot refuse it. He operated and unknowingly disfigured his
lover. Money is Douglas’ weakness which also leads to his tragic fate after teaching
both of them a lesson from their adultery. On the other hand, Montresor uses the
Amontillado an advantage to trick and secretly murder Fortunato because he knows
he would not miss a chance to taste any of it. It is an alcohol abuse then murdered
him.

Conclusion

Based on the gathered data, story narration, and collective researches from reliable
sources, the researchers concluded that the prevalent indicators found in the story of
Arthur Conan Doyle’s The case of lady Sannox and Edgar Allan Poe’s The Cask of
Amontillado concerns about the characters psychological well-being which affects the
quality of decision making in dealing life’s unfairness. The characters portrayed by
Montresor and Lord Sannox that plays the role of the antagonist illustrates the reality of
human mental struggle and traumatic experiences especially when people got into a
circumstances, thus belittled them. As a result, the act of revenge triggers as a defense
 25

mechanism to cope up to the humiliation they get. Both the victimized characters seek
revenge by targeting the weakness of the other people. In the story The Case of Lady
Sannox, money was used as a manipulative instrument to make revenge easier to
establish. While in reality, people is in the middle of crisis which makes them do whatever
it takes just to earn and Lord Sannox is one of those people taking the risk, unaware of
the danger. The Cask of Amontillado, Montresor uses the weakness of Fortunato’s love of
wine to distract him. In reality, people are living to achieve the desire they wanted in their
life. This concept makes it more believable how Fortunato deceived and put his life in
danger in the hands of Montresor.

Recommendations

After the study was conducted, the researchers provide the following
recommendations.

To the Future Researchers

For further research, this will become the basis of the future researchers if they
conduct a study which focuses on prevalent markers like revenge, crime, and mystery with
social representations. There is also a need to conduct further studies on other stories
which are relevant in themes of this study. With that, we recommend these following
topics:

• On Revenge and Characterization in the Select Stories of Agatha Christie

and Edgar Allan Poe
• Psychological Factors in Pursuit of Revenge in the Select Stories of William
Shakespeare and William Goldman
• Motivations for Revenge in the Select Stories of Alexandre Dumas and

Homer
 26

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 30

Curriculum Vitae

Personal Profile

Full Name : Vanissa Crystel T. Gumilao

Home Address : Linao-Lipata, Minglanilla, Cebu
Course : Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in English
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Age : 23 years old
Birth Date : January 24, 1999
Religion : Seventh-day Adventist
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Email Address : [Link]@[Link]

Educational Background
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Senior High : St. Cecilia’s College-Cebu, Inc.
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Home Address : V.H Garces St , Cansojong, Talisay City, Cebu
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Father’s Name : Nicolas C. Watimar Construction Worker
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Special Skill: Strong Interpersonal Skills

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