Introduction
Addiction in general and alcohol addiction in particular historically have not been treated as actual medical conditions but rather were treated as a consequence of morally wrong choices and a lack of willpower. “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe tells the story of a man who suffered a terrible death as a result of his inability to resist his addiction to wine. The addiction in the story is portrayed as a vice that makes the character oblivious to the apparent imminent death.
Poe relates the cause of Fortunato’s addiction to the immorality of his character. The effects, however, were devastating and made him lose all of his prudence. Edgar Allan Poe wrote this character as an inevitable reflection of himself, as his addiction also damaged his life in many ways.
Causes
There are several layers to the causes of the addiction implied in the story. On the one hand, there is a cause that Fortunato himself perceives. He is not aware of the severity of his addiction and considers his love of wine his pride. This is how the story describes Fortunato: “So he knew a lot about fine wines, and proudly believed that he was a trained judge of them” (Poe, 2014, p. 68).
On the other hand, there is a deeper layer that reveals the faults of his character. Overall, the character is perceived as a morally weak person. The weakness of his mind is conveyed through the symbolism of the catacombs that represent the dark depths of the addiction.
Regarding alcohol addiction, the symbolism of catacombs interprets escape and isolation when people stay away from society and avoid the troubles of the sober world. The idea of catacombs states that dependence deepens, leading to physical and emotional breakdowns. Catacombs also symbolize the mind’s subconscious, where feelings and memories might dwell.
The medical literature of the nineteenth century demonstrates a similar attitude towards addiction and its causes. The physicians of the time “described alcohol addiction as a condition of moral compromise” (Pooja & Sarkar, 2021, p. 8). Usually, it was the defects of a person that were seen as the leading causes of alcoholism.
Effects
The effects of alcohol addiction were tragic for the character of Poe’s story. Poe uses catacomb symbolism in the story as the character of Montresor, who eventually kills Amontillado, represents the destructive nature of alcoholism. Montresor’s malicious plan could have seemed evident from the beginning to a non-addicted person.
Fortunato seems to disregard all the alarming signs as he only thinks about the promise to drink Amontillado, which he deems one of the best kinds of wine (Poe, 2014). Even at the end, when the intention of Motresor becomes completely apparent, and he starts chaining him, he only asks: “But… But the Amontillado?” (Poe, 2014, p. 71). This shows how the mind of an addicted person works so that their prudence is completely gone and replaced by the desire to drink.
Cultural Context, History, and Character
In the times when Poe wrote this story, addiction was not classified as a medical issue. On the one hand, it can be seen how easily addiction rose from the fact that developing a love for wine and becoming its connoisseur was socially acceptable. This is precisely how Fortunato developed an addiction. On the other hand, there was a lot of stigmas around addiction: “Intoxication was described as “debauch” and suggested moral deviance” (Pooja & Sarkar, 2021, p. 9). Fortunato’s behavior cannot be described as debauch but certainly indicates his sanity’s degradation.
Conclusion
The topic is still relevant today as, despite the recognition of alcoholism as a health-related illness, society still often looks at alcoholism as a moral problem. The addiction’s severe consequences for the mind described in Poe’s story are also often neglected both by the people with addiction and regular people in general. Thus, it is essential to raise awareness of the illness’s effects and emphasize that it is an illness that can and should be treated.
References
Poe, E. A. (2014). The cask of amontillado. CreateSpace.
Pooja, R., & Sarkar, D. O. (2021). Spirits from the past: Stigma in historical medical literature on alcohol addiction and implications for modern practice. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 16(4), 8-10. Web.