In some literary works, certain words used do not have stable references. This leads the audience to make assumptions about how language was used to represent reality. Poe, in “The Cask of Amontillado,” uses contradictory terms and events in his literary work. The contradiction in his work must be exposed in order to understand the meaning beneath the surface. This technique of revealing the hidden meaning of a literary work is called deconstruction theory. The lens of deconstruction theory is used to understand “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe. Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809 in Boston. His father was David Poe while his mother was Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins. He lost his parents before he was three years old and had to move to Virginia to live with a wealthy merchant named John Allan. John took Poe as one of his sons. Poe went to a private school and conflicts arose between him and his guardians when he decided to pursue literary works. He attended the University of Virginia, but his studies dropped out after the first year. He had gambling debts and his guardians refused to pay these debts. He joined the army and became a sergeant major. He then left the army. He wrote numerous literary works. He wrote many poems while at West Point. His life became miserable when he became a heavy drinker and smoker. He went through many problems in his life which helped him to write many poems. His nature as a heavy drinker is even realized in "The Cask of Amontillado". His literary talent would not have been so interesting if his behavior and character had not influenced his writing. His love of alcohol helped him incorporate alcohol abuse into his work. A clear proof in “The Cask of Amontillado”, where he...... middle of paper ......gh in life. He also used the title of the story to refer to the processes taking place in the story. The title refers to the process of revenge that Montresor envisions. Montresor's revenge can be used to show how Poe feels about the challenges in his life. He wants revenge, but the only place he can do it is through writing. However, deconstruction can be used in this story to show the way Poe expressed the challenges of his life. Works Cited Delaney, Bill. “Poe is the barrel of Amontillado.” The Explainer. 64.1 (2005): 33-35. Print.Lewis, Michael J. “Refining a Fortunato Amontillado.” The Explainer. 69.4 (2011): 179-183. Print.Poe, Edgar A. The Cask of Amontillado. Charlottesville, Virginia: University of Virginia Library Electronic Text Center, 1993. Internet Resource. Stott, St GJ "Poe's the Cask of Amontillado." The Explainer. 62.2 (2005): 85-88. Print.