Sentenced to Die in the Dungeons of Toledo PDF

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Eng: 1101 12 December, 2017 The Will to Survive Cast in a damp dreary prison the Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe uses symbolism to describe the encounter with death. Slowly regaining consciousness, struggling to breathe, entombed into darkness, fearful he was left to perish of starvation. Recalling old fables what it is like being imprisoned in the dungeons of Toledo, the author depicts how those tales has become a frightening reality. The thought of what death may be like flashed across the mind. The judges that served sentence were all dress in black which reminds us of the color associated with death. They may also be compared to the Grim Reaper known famously as the soul collector from Greek mythology. The author was not executed with swiftness as the other captors due to his state of unconsciousness. He was spared momentarily. Deciding to explore this ghastly prison he set forth to investigate finding a way to escape a certain death. In addition, the pit in the middle of the dungeon is the author first encounter with death. He trips and fall’s head first at its edge after exploring in the dark. This pit can be interpreted as falling into the dark mysteries of hell. What lies at the bottom of the pit is unheard of, the imagination itself could be tormenting. The author’s captors created their own version of hell with various ways for a prisoner to perish. Another step before that fall and the world had seen me no more (Poe). Furthermore being tied up and stretched out onto a wooden frame in the shape of a bed only able to move one hand. Surveying the prison something peculiar caught the eye. It was a

statue of Father Time holding a swinging pendulum sharpened on both sides instead of a scythe. The swinging pendulum signifies the time which passes by drawing closer to death. The back and forth motion imitates that of a clock counting down the seconds in with the author would meet a slow death. Gradually descending over the author's heart the pendulum was projected to cut him into two pieces. Equally important were the rats that ascended from the pit. The rats signify death and decay. They were sensing the imminent decease of the author, waiting to devour his carcass. The rats can also be compared to the unknown demons that reside in hell, bringing horror and torture. The author overcoming his fear of the rats uses them as an ally from which he rubbed leftover meat onto the ropes that restrict him. Swarming all over his body to his disgust they nibbled away reluctantly freeing him before the pendulum fatal blow. Finally the author is saved from the dungeons with the help of the French army as well as General LaSalle. Fought with valor to survive as well as overcoming all obstacles placed before him he found the courage and motivation to remain alive. As though he was the only one to survive both the Pit and the Pendulum, his encounter was one to quickly forget. Being sentenced to death changes the perspective of how the final days may be viewed. The author could have easily given up hungry and tired fainting numerous times. That will to survive death never deserted him....