Prompt: How do individuals justify their own reality?

After reading The

Monkeys Paw, The Tell Tale Heart, The Black Cat, Alone, The Veldt,
Retrieved Reformation, and Hearts and Hands

, along with non-fiction

articles on the topic of perception vs reality, write an essay in which you
compare how different individuals perceive their own reality and argue
which individual was most removed from reality. What conclusions or
`implications can you draw?

Pre-Writing
What two individuals are you
comparing?
Who are you arguing is the MOST
removed from reality?
(Please add the THREE quotes you are
using from the short story or article to
support this individual)

1. The Black Cat

2. The Gift of the Magi
Character/Name:
Poe
Article/Story Title:
The Black Cat
Author:
Edgar Allan Poe
Strong Quote 1:

I felt this rejection as an was an unforgivable

insult, and, when he finally appeared i grabbed
hm by the neck. Page/Paragraph #3

Stronger Quote 2:

While I was holding him by the neck, I took a

knife from the kitchen table, and consciously cut
one of his eyes from its socket! Even after many
years Im ashamed to write these words,
confessing such an inhuman act. Page/Paragraph
#3

Strongest Quote 3:

The black cat, which would stare at me with that

empty eye,constantly reminding me of my cruelty.
Finally I could take no more. One morning I
placed a rope around Pluto's neck and shamelessly
hung him from a tree limb in our backyard. Even
as the poor suffering cat struggles for its last
breath, I knew that I was committing a horrible
sin. But my nature, which by this time was
demented and twisted by a drink forced me to pull

the noose tighter. Page/Paragraph # 4

Who is the other individual you are

comparing to?
(Please add the ONE quote you are using
from the short story or article to support
this individual)

Character/Name:
Della
Article/Story Title:
The gift of the Magi
Author:
O. Henry
Strong Quote 1:

She had been saving every penny she could for

months, with this result. Page/Paragraph #1

Stronger Quote 2:

Will you buy my hair? asked Della. I buy hair,

said Madame. Take off your hat and lets have a
sight at the looks of it. Down rippled the brown
cascade. Twenty dollars sade
Madame.Page/Paragraph # 2

Strongest Quote 3:

I has my hair cut off and sold because I couldnt

have lived through Christmas without giving you a
present.
Another strong quote was
They were expensive combs, she knew, and her
heart had simply craved and yearned over them
without the least hope of possession.
Page/Paragraph # 5

Graphic Organizer
Introduction paragraph
Hook
Background info about PvR &
discuss the two individuals you
are comparing. Introduce the
titles and authors of the
articles/stories included.

Hook:
People often perceive something one
way when their reality is another.
Background:
In The Black Cat by Edgar Allen Poe, poe
was a drunk alcoholic who was sick of
his loving cat following him around. He
believed he need to hurt the cat but the

 Claim Statement (one sentence)

Body Paragraph 1: STRONGER

ARGUMENT

Discuss quote 1 that addresses person

you believe is MOST removed from
reality
Topic sentence: Identify Person
and introduce quote
Quote
Support/Explanation of quote

Body Paragraph 2: STRONG

ARGUMENT
Discuss quote 2 that addresses person
you believe is MOST removed from
reality
Topic sentence: Identify Person
and introduce quote
Quote
Support/Explanation of quote

reality was that the poor helpless cat

didnt deserve it. In The Gift of the Magi
by O. Henry Della thought she was doing
good by selling her hair to get her
husband a gif but both her and her
husband made sacrifices to get each
other a gift so when they got the gift it
was useless. In this story they both did
right because they care so much about
each other.
Claim Statement:
In The Black Cat Poe made decisions
because he was removed from reality
and The Gift of The Magi Della made
decisions to fix her reality.
In The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe he
called his cat over to him and when his
cat didnt come immediately he was hurt.
He said I felt this rejection as an was an
unforgivable insult, and, when he finally
appeared I grabbed him by the neck. He
was very removed from reality because
he strangled the poor cat for not being
their right when he called. The helpless
cat may have not heard him call him and
that caused the innocent cat to be
abused.
Poe didnt stop at that, then he went on
hurting Pluto, his cat.
In the story it said While I was holding
him by the neck, I took a knife from the
kitchen table, and consciously cut one of his
eyes from its socket! Even after many years
Im ashamed to write these words,
confessing such an inhuman act. (pg. 3)
His drinking removed him from the reality
of the horrible act he was doing but at the
time he perceived it as if his actions were
okay.

Counterclaim: Address the other

individual you are comparing (not as
removed from reality)
Introduce the opposing side with
quote & support for that side

Other people may think that Della from

The Gift of The Magi by O. Henry is
removed from reality but shes not. In
the story the reality is she has $1.87 to get
her husband a Christmas gift so she sold
her hair for $20. She used the money to
get her husband a gold chain for his most
prized possession, his watch. When they
received each others gifts they were both
useless. Jim, her husband sold his watch
to get Della combs and that she couldnt
use and he got a chain that he couldnt
use. In the text it states I has my hair cut
off and sold because I couldnt have lived
through Christmas without giving you a
present. Some people think she was
removed from reality because think she felt
she had to get her husband something
expensive to make him happy. Della isnt
removed from reality because she loves her
husband so much she'd sacrifice her hair to
make him have a good Christmas.

Rebuttal/Body Paragraph 3:
STRONGEST ARGUMENT
Topic sentence
Explain strongest argument about
the individual you chose and why
it is stronger than the
counterclaim or other individual
you chose.

Poe was removed from reality because his

decisions had bad intentions and harmed
others but Della had good intentions to
make her husband happy for Christmas.
In The Black Cat Poe wrote The black cat,
which would stare at me with that empty
eye,constantly reminding me of my cruelty.
Finally I could take no more. One morning I
placed a rope around Pluto's neck and
shamelessly hung him from a tree limb in
our backyard. Even as the poor suffering cat
struggles for its last breath, I knew that I
was committing a horrible sin. But my
nature, which by this time was demented
and twisted by a drink forced me to pull the
noose tighter.
At the time Poe was so removed from
reality when he committed these horrible
acts even though when he looked back at it
he realized how bad his actions where he

was removed from reality to know right

from wrong.

Conclusion:
Summarize all information given
Restate claim in a new way
End your critique with a creative
closing that ties all loose ends
together. End hook or call to
action!

Key:
Blue - Intro
Purple - Body 1
Green - Body 2
Red - Counterclaim
Orange - Body 3
Black - Conclusion

In The Black Cat Poe believed that his cat

was disobeying him by not coming when
he was called so he strangled, took out
its eye, and hung his cat. He was
removed from reality because he
committed a horrible act to take a living
creature's life because it didnt come to
him. Poe followed through with very bad
actions because he couldn't see his
reality at the time but Della make a
decision to sacrifice her most prized
possession for her husband because the
reality was it was the right thing to do for
her loved one. Whenever you perceive
something one way really think about the
reality of it.

Rylee Michel
Period 4

Q1 Argumentative Essay

People often perceive something one way when their reality is another.
Perception vs. Reality is when people perceive something differently as it is in reality.
In the thort story The Black Cat By Poe, Poe was drunk and he believed that he need to
hurt the cat and but the reality was that the cat didnt deserve it. In The Gift of the
Magi by O Henry Della thought she was doing good by selling her hair to get her
husband a gift but it was a useless after she sold her hair and her gift to him was
useless. In The Black Cat Poe made decisions because he was removed from reality
and The Gift of The Magi Della made reasonable decisions in her reality.

In The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe he called his cat over to him and when his cat
didnt come immediately he was hurt. He said I felt this rejection as an was an
unforgivable insult, and, when he finally appeared I grabbed him by the neck. He was
very removed from reality because he strangled the poor cat for not being their right
when he called. The helpless cat may have not heard him call him and that caused the
innocent cat to be abused.

Poe didnt stop at that, he was still removed from reality and he went on hurting

Pluto, his cat. In the story it said

While I was holding him by the neck, I took a knife from the kitchen table, and
consciously cut one of his eyes from its socket! Even after many years Im
ashamed to write these words, confessing such an inhuman act. (pg. 3)

His drinking removed him from the reality of the horrible act he was doing but at the
time he perceived it as if his actions were okay.

Other people may think that Della from The Gift of The Magi by O. Henry is
removed from reality but shes not. In the story the reality is she has $1.87 to get her
husband a Christmas gift so she sold her hair for $20. She used the money to get her
husband a gold chain for his most prized possession, his watch. When they received
each others gifts they were both useless. Jim, her husband sold his watch to get Della
combs and that she couldnt use and he got a chain that he couldnt use. In the text it
states I had my hair cut off and sold because I couldnt have lived through Christmas
without giving you a present. Some people think she was removed from reality
because think she felt she had to get her husband something expensive to make him
happy. Della isnt removed from reality because she loves her husband so much she'd
sacrifice her hair to make him have a good Christmas.

Poe was removed from reality because his decisions had bad intentions and

harmed others but Della had good intentions to make her husband happy for
Christmas. In The Black Cat Poe wrote

The black cat, which would stare at me with that empty eye,constantly
reminding me of my cruelty. Finally I could take no more. One morning I placed
a rope around Pluto's neck and shamelessly hung him from a tree limb in our
backyard. Even as the poor suffering cat struggles for its last breath, I knew that
I was committing a horrible sin. But my nature, which by this time was
demented and twisted by a drink forced me to pull the noose tighter.

At the time Poe was so removed from reality when he committed these horrible acts
even though when he looked back at it he realized how bad his actions where he was
removed from reality to know right from wrong.

In The Black Cat Poe believed that his cat was disobeying him by not coming when
he was called so he strangled, took out its eye, and hung his cat. He was removed from
reality because he committed a horrible act to take a living creature's life because it
didnt come to him. Poe followed through with very bad actions because he couldn't
see his reality at the time but Della make a decision to sacrifice her most prized
possession for her husband because the reality was it was the right thing to do for her
loved one. Whenever you perceive something one way really think about the reality of
it.