Alexander Diaz
Capstone Research
- In the area of my research, scholars have talked about many various things that are relevant to my subject. For example in the area of Edgar Allan Poe, we see in black cat and hop frog that there are many similarities between drinking that leads to murder. We can also see the similarities between the different animals represented in the stories. The cat and the frog may not be the same up front, but in demonology terms, they are both the representation of Ba’al, the king of hell and chief demon of murder. We can also see the use of alcohol and research about how alcohol allows for a greater chance of demonic possession.
- Basically the exigence that I want to do for my capstone problem is that Poe has used demonology in a time of temperance writing in order to separate his stories from the rest and give a more impactful lesson against alcoholism, something he had a love-hate relationship for.
- Audiences can range from Poe lovers, to those looking up analyses of the story, to even those who love the paranormal or demonic side of things.
- I still need to know more information about the different demons that link to these stories, how alcoholism ties into everything, and what influence did Poe have to incorporate demons into his story.