In "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" by JD Salinger and "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe many different themes are used to reveal how the protagonist is led at its maximum death. Many themes are used in the stories, such as the fall from innocence to despair and ruin, split personality leading to the character's downfall, and deterioration into madness and obsession. The intent of this article is to offer a clear presentation of how the works of the two authors are similar and different. The fall from innocence to despair and ruin forces the characters to their own deaths. There are many different moments where the narrator of "The Black Cat" gives examples of how he was a kind person: "My tenderness of heart was so evident that it made me test my companions" (Poe, 1). This quote refers to the fact that he was once kind and affectionate towards animals. It also shows how he loses his innocence if you compare him as described at the beginning of the book to how he turns out at the end of the book. In the story "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" Seymour is shown very innocent from the beginning until the end. The conversation with Sybil is an example of how innocent she can be. “'I chew candy,' she said finally. 'Who doesn't,' said the young man, wetting his feet” (Salinger, 15). The quote from the story shows how Seymour can have a childish conversation with an innocent child. The loss of innocence is seen most when he starts arguing in the elevator. Both have a loving and caring nature towards themselves towards other innocent creatures. One of the differences between the characters would be the fact that Seymour wants to maintain his innocence. He does this by keeping calm with Sybil, sending poems, and playing the piano. On the other hand, the narrator of “The Black Cat” has not done much to restrain his evil side but unleashes it on other living creatures. The other difference that can be seen is the direction both characters go in once they start to lose their innocence. In the case of Seymour, he loses his innocence and inflicts pain on himself, but for the other character of “The Black Cat” he inflicts pain on other people and animals.