What is the singular effect in The Pit and the Pendulum? Poe claimed short stories were intended to create a singular effect.

In 's essay
The Importance of the Single Effect in a Prose Tale, Poe describes the
importance of the single effect in a text.

A skillful
literary artist has constructed a tale. If wise, he has notfashioned his thoughts to accommodate
his incidents; but havingconceived, with deliberate care, a certain unique or single
effect to be wrought out, he then invents such incidents--he then
combinessuch events as may best aid him in establishing this preconceivedeffect.

What Poe is saying here is that a writer must have a certain
purpose in mind when constructing a text. A true artist (writer) constructs a piece which is
meant to be read in one sitting based upon the fact that a

simple cessation in reading would, of itself, be sufficient todestroy the true unity.
In the brief tale, however, the author isenabled to carry out the fullness of his intention, be
it what it may.

Therefore, Poe's single
effect which he creates in is one which he speaks of in his
essay. Poe wants his reader to be able to take in the complete text in one sitting so that the
emotions they are feeling are not stopped given the reader does not require a pause in the
reading, which would "destroy the unity" of the text.

As one can
easily recognize, Poe's texts were meant to be read in one sitting given his immense repertoire
of poetry and short stories). Poe wanted his reader's to be engrossed and engulfed by his words,
by the images he created, and by the character's he designed.