The Imp of the Perverse

The Imp of the Perverse Summary | The Imp of the Perverse Summary

The narrator begins by discussing a theory that all phrenologists and metaphysicians have overlooked. He explains that man has organized things in such a way as to "dictate purposes to God" (pg. 222), for example, we decided that God wants us to eat, so we assigned purpose to an organ that we believe God uses to compel us to eat. He feels it would have been wiser to "classify ... upon the basis of what man usually or occasionally did ... rather than on the basis of what we took it for granted the Deity intended him to do" (pg. 223). He feels that if we are not even able to understand God in simple areas, there is no way we can understand God in important matters.

He feels that phrenology has failed to account for a characteristic of human nature that, for lack of a better word, he calls "perverseness." This is, basically, the propensity of man to act simply because he should not. For example, we may have something extremely significant to do, something so life-altering and of the utmost consequence, even something we may be ready and eager to do - and yet, we put it off until it is too late.

After explaining his theories in more detail, the narrator says that he has said all he has said thus far as a way of explaining his current condition, which is apparently that he has been jailed. He admits that he had spent months planning the means by which he would commit a certain murder, settling finally on an undetectable poison candle due to his victim's habit of reading in bed at night. The murder went completely undetected and the narrator inherited the victim's estate. He was very proud of the thoughtful execution of his plot, and gained more satisfaction from this than he did from his inherited wealth. For years, everything went well.

After many years, the narrator notices something that he likens to a ringing in the ears, or to getting a piece of a song stuck in one's head. He would catch himself muttering the phrase "I am safe" under his breath. This eventually evolved into "I am safe - I am safe - yes - if I be not fool enough to make open confession!" (pg. 229)

As soon as he says this, he begins to worry that he will confess, a victim of the "perverse" urge he had spoken of earlier. Thinking about it only makes it worse and he begins to panic, running aimlessly through the streets. Finally, he confesses everything and faints.

He has been sentenced to hang.