In at least one hundred words, describe the narrator's psychological descent in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat." Use information from the text to support your answer.

The narrator initiates by claiming that he is as sane as anyone else, despite the wild story he is about to express. He confesses a great love for house pets including cats and dogs, both of which, he says, respect the loyalty behind friendship, unlike his fellow men. The narrator marries when young and introduces his wife to the enjoyment of owning pets. The narrator claims that his large and beautiful black cat, named Pluto, is his favorite.

"Yet mad I am not ... and very surely do I not dream."

The quote shows that an actual disorder surfaces, let's agree that being unsure of his own narrative would be rather unhealthy rather than being assertive.

"I was especially fond of animals, and was indulged by my parents with a great variety of pets. With these I spent most of my time, and never was so happy as when feeding and caressing them. This peculiarity of character grew with my growth, I derived from it one of my principal sources of pleasure."

The extreme to which the narrator claims to love his animals conveys instability. His bias for animals substitutes the friendship of mere man. Since the narrator's wife shares his affection for animals, he most likely thinks of her as another pet, seeing as he distrusts and dislikes humans. Additionally, his failure to comprehend his own love of animals precedes his inability to explain the reasoning behind his actions.

Even if he loves Pluto, the narrator of the story starts to show violent mood swings, mainly due to alcohol. He makes a habit of mistreating not only the other animals but also his wife. During this uncontrollable rage, only Pluto is spared. After returning home quite drunk one night, he lashes out at the black cat. He vengefully takes hold of the cat, only to be bitten on the hand. In retaliation, the narrator pulls a knife from his pocket and plucks out one of Pluto's eyes. Though the narrator wakes the next morning with a feeling of remorse, he is unable to reverse the newly obvious course of his dark soul and madness. Ignored for certain now by the wounded cat, the narrator seeks further retaliation. He is overwhelmed by a spirit of evil, and sets out to commit wrong for the sake of wrong. He hangs Pluto from the limb of a tree one morning.

"The fury of a demon instantly possessed me. I knew myself no longer. My original soul seemed, at once, to take its flight from my body; and a more than fiendish malevolence, gin-nurtured, thrilled every fibre of my frame."

The fact that he can be aggressive and violent and claim to feel no remorse indicates a clear psychological descent.