The Romantic period has numerous characteristics that help to distinguish it from other literary periods. A large majority of the pieces found in this period have at least one of the distinctive elements. Edgar Allan Poe uses a few of these elements to put a time frame on his short story, "The Black Cat".
Poe begins his short story by saying that "For the most wild, yet most homely narrative which I am about to pen, I neither expect nor solicit belief". A big characteristic of Romanticism is a willing suspension of disbelief. It is never even thought that the plot to the story would be taken as being true, but rather as a made up story to get the attention of the reader. This also allows the reader to imagine if such a case were to actually occur. Each word that is read is meant to be doubted, and thought of as being absolutely bizarre, and with each new twist more doubt is created.
Escapism, another key factor in Romanticism, is seen throughout the short story. The main character, who is never specifically identified, is running from his life by drinking alcohol. The alcohol eventually leads to the destruction of the first black cat, ...