Final answer:
Montresor stops building the wall to savor Fortunato's terror and further torment him, reflecting the story's psychological horror.
Step-by-step explanation:
Montresor stops building the wall momentarily in Edgar Allan Poe's short story, "The Cask of Amontillado," to savor Fortunato's growing desperation and to torment him further. Poe's emphasis on the psychological aspects of Montresor's revenge highlights the calculated and sadistic nature of his actions.
As Fortunato begins to sober up and realize the severity of his situation, Montresor takes pleasure in the terror that he has instilled. Though Montresor is building a wall to entomb Fortunato alive, the pause in his labor is also metaphorical, with the wall representing the barrier that Montresor erects between them, sealing Fortunato's fate while separating himself from feelings of guilt or remorse.