Read this passage from "the black cat": this hideous murder accomplished, i set myself forthwith, and with entire deliberation, to the task of concealing the body. i knew that i could not remove it from the house, either by day or by night, without the risk of being observed by the neighbors. many projects entered my mind. what element of this passage the reader infer that the narrator might possibly be insane and without morals? a. the direct characterization b. the use of dialogue c. the complex sentences d. the businesslike tone

D. The businesslike tone.

Explanation:

Edgar Allen Poe's short story "The Black Cat" tells the story of our unnamed narrator and his murderous actions. The beginning of the story shows him in a prison waiting his execution, him telling us the reason behind this.

The narrator had befriended a black cat and had been living happily with his wife. He even admits that he loves his cat named Pluto more than his wife. But one drunk action resulted in him killing Pluto. Another cat came and he tried to have the same relationship as that of Pluto. But his insane drunk actions led to another disaster, this time killing his wife unintentionally. The excerpt in the question is from when he had just realized that he had murdered his wife. He is looking for ways to discard or hide the body so that no one notices it. The way he is addressing this scene, how businesslike he is approaching this situation shows that he may possibly be insane and without any sense of morality.