people must be watching him all the time. He played the childish game of trying to still the steel through the power of his will. Perhaps if he concentrated enough on the blade, he could arrest its descent. Anticipation of the climax, where the edge of the steel slashed the cloth of his garments, scared and yet thrilled him. He disassociated himself from the descending blade, imagining it to be a shiny bauble viewed from the crib of an innocent; the next moment he arched his body, lurching upward, yearning to conclude the excruciating torment. Feeling, hearing and sensing his end come closer, the victim suddenly was thrust back to reasoning, to thinking on that half formed hope that was interrupted. His torture was a constant reminder that he could not escape death. He could not get out of that pit, yet he pays close attention to his own consciousness. His mind plays tricks on him because of his fear of dying. In many occasions the narrator prayed for salvation, for someone to help him. Prayer was a common thing in these captivity narratives. Most prisoners just hoped for their savior to rescue them. I prayed- I wearied heavenly with my prayer for it’s speedy descent (189). The Pit's meaning I believe is that the story's strength and uniqueness lie in the strong connection between our physical perceptions and our spiritual progress during times of tension or stress.As the walls of the prison heat up and begin moving in toward the center of the room. The narrator realizes that he will be forced into the central pit by the advancing walls. Just as there is only an inch or so of floor left for him to stand on, the walls suddenly retract and cool down, but the narrator in his fear has begun to faint into the pit. He realizes that no matter what he does he will not be able to escape death. It is inevitable. However, as he falls some one catches him: it is a French general, whose army has taken over the prison and stopped the Inquisi...
