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The narrator of “The Pit and the Pendulum” has been condemned to death by the Inquisition for reasons never made clear. However, several clues hint that the Inquisition may have targeted him for his association with the progressive beliefs of the European Enlightenment. For example, when he blurs the inquisitors’ voices together in his mind, he thinks of revolution in a way that recalls the American and French revolutions against absolute monarchy. The narrator’s most striking trait is his perseverance. Although he repeats multiple times that he knows death will come for him and even speaks of hope fading, he never truly gives in to his fate. Instead of languishing in the chamber, he keeps busy, attempting to measure the walls. Although his stated purpose here is measurement, not escape, the very act of moving and keeping active demonstrates a resistance to despair. He uses his wits to escape from the binding strap. Even knowing that the walls will push him into the pit eventually, the narrator attempts to hold on for as long as possible, refusing the pit despite everything. His ability to stay brave and rational throughout his harrowing ordeal makes him emblematic of humanism—that is, the belief in the power, goodness, and strength of humanity.
