Final answer:
In 'The Black Cat' by Edgar Allan Poe, symbols such as the black cat itself, its resurrection, and the white spot on its fur represent bad luck, the capacity for evil, and the inescapability of guilt.
Step-by-step explanation:
The story The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe includes several symbols that add depth and complexity to its narrative. One notable symbol is the black cat itself, which represents not only bad luck and death but also the capacity for evil within the human soul.
The narrator's increasing violence towards the cat mirrors his descent into madness and moral decay. Furthermore, the cat's resurrection and the image of its white fur taking on the shape of the gallows is a symbol of the inescapability of guilt. The narrator cannot free himself from his actions, much as the cat's second life becomes a constant reminder of his crime.
Lastly, the motif of the color white in the story symbolizes innocence and purity. The white spot on the second cat, which morphs into the shape of a gallows, represents the narrator's lost innocence and the inescapable nature of his guilt.