The Tell Tale Heart Essay

The Tell Tale Heart Insanity Essay
Insanity– the state of being mentally ill. Could insanity be an excuse for an unforgivable crime?
In the short story "The Tell Tale Heart" by Edgar Allen Poe, we come face to face with a man
reliving his killing of an innocent man and learn the chilling state of mind the narrator has decreased
to. It is clear he is mentally ill from the start of the story and it is constant throughout the text. The
narrator is not guilty for reasons of insanity because he converses and argues with voices in his head,
hears nonexistent sounds, and killed an innocent man because he believed his eye was haunting him.
Some may claim that there is no excuse for murder, but this man is obviously mentally challenged,
therefore should not be degraded any further...show more content...
This proves that this poor man is innocent because he is showing major signs of insanity such as
hallucinations and hearing nonexistent voices. The second reason why this man deserves justice is
because he was obviously having some sort of mental breakdown at the time of his "crime". He
seems to be violently angry and very anxious. In the story, my client had just killed the old man and
begins conversing with himself, "––do you mark me well I have told you that I am nervous: so I am.
And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a
noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror" (3). This quotes helps prove that the narrator is
innocent for plea of insanity because he is showing another major symptom of a mental disease–
anxious or violent outbursts. The man even admits to being nervous before he killed the old man.
The quote also describes how the old man's dead heart still beating in the narrator's mind and is
taking over his thoughts. My client also connects his hypnotic state to bringing him "uncontrollable
terror". This supports his symptoms of anxiety because it shows his mind being taken over by his
nervousness. Towards the end of the text, the narrator feels too guilted and lets his anger get the best
of himself, "I foamed ––I raved ––I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and
grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually
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Essay about вЂњThe Tell-Tale Heartв
Ђќ
"The Tell–Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe is a first–person narrative short story that features a
disguised–cum–mysterious narrator. The narrator does not reveal any interest while proving his
innocence regarding the murder of the old man. Moreover, he makes us believe that he is in full
control of his mind but yet suffering from a disease that causes him over acuteness of the senses. As
we go through the story, we can find his obsession in proving his sanity. The narrator lives with an
old man, who has a clouded, pale blue, vulture–like eye that makes him so vulnerable that he kills the
old man. He confesses that there was no interest, no passion whatsoever in killing the old man,
whom he loved. Throughout the story, the narrator directs...show more content...
One of the fascinating aspects of this story is that it remains indistinguishable to whom the
narrator is addressing his appeal to be found sane. It may be the police; or more likely a judge; or
can also be the warden of the prison; or even a group of people gathered to witness him hung up
during his execution (Tucker 95). Instead of attempting to prove his innocence, the narrator's long
monologue becomes a case in which he tries to prove his sanity. Moreover, he tries to defend his
sanity by explaining how wise and cautious he was as he was preparing for the murder. Every
night he checked on the old man to make sure he got everything right and get ready to execute his
plan. The narration lacks of a concrete explanation of the person or place to which it is addressed,
which leaves much room for interpretation for the readers. What we can infer from the story is it
is not addressed to the police officers since the narrator says he was successful in making them
satisfied. Finally, the climax of the story comes as the revelation of the dead body hidden under the
planks. Because the story is told as a memento, our estimation might be that the narrator is
addressing a court official or personage who may influence over the judgment of the narrator.
Therefore, the story that the narrator is telling is most accurately realized as an appeal for mercy
rather

Thesis Statement For The Tell Tale Heart
Name Jordyn Whitted
Ms. Walker
Class English 3
Date 11/30/17
Introduction :
Hook
What humanity creates in their own mind is worse than any monster, demon or any act of terror that
can be conceived. B ) Background
Gothic Literature is a writing style that has dark setting, it has an overall atmosphere of mystery,
exoticism, death. A Gothic story will revolve around a large, ancient house or an obscure setting that
conceals a terrible secret or that serves as the refuge of an especially frightening and threatening
character
"The Tell–Tale Heart" by Edgar Allen Poe––narrator kills the "old man" as his eye was bothering
him. In his hiding of, and accidental revelation of, the body, the narrator begins to break down,
becoming insane.
"The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe the student becomes obsessively pushing his need for self–torture
to the extreme. To become more sorrow, he calls for the bird to hear only one response to become
morself–tortured.
"The Yellow Wallpaper''Charlotte Perkins Gilman the narrator suffers from depression and her only
way she feels she can escape is writing. Eventually, she starts to feel trapped and by tearing down
"the woman in the yellow wallpaper'' she thinks that this will set her free but it only makes her
become more mad. C) Thesis Statement The three stories The Tell–Tale Heart The Yellow
Wallpaper, and Raven have a common narrator type, bringing about a sense of psychological horror
within the themes of insanity.

The Tell-Tale Heart Argumentative Essay
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: there can be many different perspectives seen in a poem. One
individual could read a poem as depressing and another can perceive it as a new beginning. One's
views rests on individual perspectives. For example, Edgar Allen Poe's writing is dark and
controversial. In my essay I will argue that Poe was not in his right mind and he was driven mad
with evidence throughout his short story "The Tell–Tale Heart". To begin with, Poe is the speaker in
the short story, he tells the story as if he is proud. For instance, the speaker states," But you should
have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded– – with what caution – – with what
foresight – – with what dissimulation I went to work." (Poe 1) A

Critical Analysis of Poe's The Tell Tale Heart
The Tell Tale Heart is a story, on the most basic level, of conflict. There is a mental conflict within
the narrator himself (assuming the narrator is male). Through obvious clues and statements, Poe
alerts the reader to the mental state of the narrator, which is insanity. The insanity is described as an
obsession (with the old man's eye), which in turn leads to loss of control and eventually results in
violence. Ultimately, the narrator tells his story of killing his housemate. Although the narrator
seems to be blatantly insane, and thinks he has freedom from guilt, the feeling of guilt over the
murder is too overwhelming to bear. The narrator cannot tolerate it and eventually...show more
content...
One statement by the narrator sums up his mental state: 'You fancy me mad. Madmen know
nothing. But you should have seen me'; (777). What he is actually saying is: 'There are madmen
who are clumsy in their actions, but not this madman!'; This is as close to a self–admission of
insanity as possible. The mental setting is put into place by the narrator's own statements. This
setting is pure chaos starting in the head of the killer and spilling out into the physical world around
him resulting in an unnecessary death. When the narrator is explaining the end of his tale to the
unnamed listener (presumably a jailor, or a mental health practitioner), he states the beating of the
heart was unbearable on his conscious:
'I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited by the observations of the men–but the
noise steadily increased?I foamed–
I raved–I swore!?the noise arose over all and continually increased.
It grew louder–louder–louder!?They heard!–they suspected!–they knew!?I felt I must scream or
die!';(780).
The narrator proceeded to admit his killing of the old man. Obviously, his mental state was one of
pure fear and disillusion. An auditory hallucination of a dead heart beating caused so much mental
anguish in the narrator that it made him confess to the crime. This indeed shows insanity. Yet this
insanity was not as strong as the guilt pushing through it.
Another element that supports the theme is

The Tell Tale Heart Rhetorical Analysis
"Writing is the painting of the voice." said Voltaire. By using descriptive adjectives and dialogue,
the author makes the reader feel like he or she is in the story themselves. In the story The Tell
Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe, the author uses descriptive adjectives and dialogue to develop the
characters, mood and setting. In the story, The Tell Tale Heart, the author uses descriptive
adjectives to develop the characters, mood, and setting. In the story, the author developed the
character of the old man by saying, "He had the eye of a vulture a pale, blue eye, with a film over it."
This gave the reader an idea of what the old man's eye looked like and why it made the madman so
angry. This helps show the reader why the man was so angry

Tell Tale Heart Supernatural
Edgar Allan Poe has written some bizarre stories about supernatural events. The story ВЁThe
Tell–Tale HeartВЁ was written in 1843 about a young man killing an innocent old man. This
bizarre young man is in fact a crazy person. The young man was very obsessed with the old man in
this story for a particular reason – the old man's eye. The old man's eye had a pale blue film over it
and it was called a vulture eye. Every night at midnight he opened the door to the old man's
bedroom and just watched him. One time, the old man heard his bedroom door open, so he stayed
up for one hour and the young man never moved a muscle for that entire time, only watched and
stared. That was a true obsession. This young man is very possessed about the old man's

The Tell Tale Heart Essay
The Symbolism of a Beating Heart With a descriptive epistle of murder and insanity, "The Tell Tale
Heart" threw itself into history as a classic. The narrator tells of his plot to murder an old man with a
"vulture eye." Although he sneaks into his bedroom, night after night, he still cannot murder the old
man, because he loves the man, but hates the eye. When seeing the vulture eye on the eighth night,
he murders the old man and dismembers his body. While insisting upon his sanity he hears the old
man's heart beating under the floorboard. Because of a neighbor's complaint, the police show up to
investigate, but he quickly quells their suspicion with his smooth talk and calmness. If the heart
stopped its loud beating, the murderer would...show more content...
However, because murder inevitably follows the meeting of their eyes, the narrator hears the heart
beating faster. "I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound... It was the beating of the old
man's heart. It increased my fury as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage" (Poe
1207). As it beats faster and faster, it pushes him further into his insanity. Hearing it beat so loudly,
he believes not only will it burst, but also the neighbors will hear it. Thus, the insane man rushes
headlong into the hideous act. "But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst.
And now a new anxiety seized me –– the sound would be heard by a neighbor! The old man's hour
had come!" (Poe 1207–1208). Taking the part of his conscience telling him to tell the truth about the
old man's death, the lunatic hears the heart beating under the floorboard when the officers come into
his house. Because the guilt was too much to bear, the heart, in a sense, tricked him into turning
himself in. Thus, he cracked and could not withstand the sheer pressure. "'Villains!' I shrieked,
'dissemble no more! I admit the deed! –– tear up the planks! –– here, here! –– it is the beating of his
hideous heart!'" (Poe 1209). Although he planned the old man's murder and kept everything under
control, he did not factor in what his guilt would do. His

Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell Tale Heart" is a short story about how a murderer's conscience
overtakes him and whether the narrator is insane or if he suffers from over acuteness of the
senses. Poe suggests the narrator is insane by the narrator's claims of sanity, the narrator's actions
bring out the narrative irony of the story, and the narrator is insane according to the definition of
insanity as it applies to "The Tell Tale Heart". First, Poe suggests the narrator is insane by his
assertions of sanity. For example, the narrator declares because he planned the murder so expertly
he could not be insane. He says, "Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing.
But you should have seen how wisely I proceeded–with what...show more content...
The narrator plans the murder so well and with such logic but his reasons for murder are
irrational. The narrator says he loves the old man but then vows to kill him. Speaking of the
murder, the narrator says, "Object there was none. Passion there was none. I love the old man he
had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire". If the
narrator is not insane he would not kill a man he loves or want to kill someone with an ugly eye.
The narrator's reason for the murder of the old man is unjustified and deranged. This shows the
narrative irony used because someone who commits a murder with so little logic in the reasoning
cannot be trusted. The narrator decides to kill the old man because the old man's eye brings terror
upon the narrator whenever he sees it. The narrator's fear of the eye is irrational. Regarding the eye
the narrator says, "Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees–very gradually–I
made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever". Also,
the narrator hears things which are not actually occurring. As the narrator is looking in the old
man's room at midnight he thinks the old man's heart is beating so loud that he can hear it from the
doorway and it keeps growing louder and louder in his ears. He says, "But the beating grew

The Tell-Tale Heart Essay
The Tell Tale Heart is an amazing fictional short story written by Edgar Allen Poe. It is about a man
who has a mental health problem which causes him to kill an old man, who is also his neighbor. In
the beginning of the Tell–Tale Heart, the narrator tries to convince the readers that he is not the
culprit and that he is not mad either. Instead, he says that his disease has "sharpened his senses––not
destroyed––not dulled them." Later on, to prove that he is insane, he calmly explains why he
commits the murder of the old man, who has "an eye of a vulture." As explained in the story, the
old man's eye is a pale blue eye, with a film over it. The unnamed narrator has nothing against the
old man, but his pale blue eye. To be free of the "vulturous eye," the narrator goes into the old man's
room every night at 12:00 for seven days....show more content...
He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire." After that,
he goes on talking about the old man's eye. He says "I made up my mind to take the life of the old
man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever." The anonymous narrator murdered the very old man
because the his eye was made of glass and the narrator did not like that at all. Later on, some
neighbors hear disturbance and they immediately call the police. Once the police come to investigate
they ask the narrator some questions. The more questions they asked, the more nervousness the
narrator gained. Soon, he started hearing his own heart, but he thought it was the old man's

The Tell-Tale Heart
Edgar Allen Poe strives to achieve a single, unified effect in each of his short stories. In "The
Tell–Tale Heart", Poe works to highlight the effect of the narrator's madness on the reader's
perception both of the narrator and the events of the story. Using first person point of view, elevated
language, awkward sentence structure, and other literary techniques, Poe keeps the reader focused
on the obvious madness and subsequent untrustworthy nature of the narrator, providing a unique and
chilling perspective into the murder of the old man. The narrator of the story most likely suffers
from schizophrenia, a mental illness characterized by abnormal social interactions and difficulty
differentiating fantasy from reality. The depth and intensity

Essay on Tell-tale Heart Literary Analysis
The Tell–Tale Heart
A Literary Analysis
Like many of Poe's other works, the Tell–Tale Heart is a dark story. This particular one focuses on
the events leading the death of an old man, and the events afterwards. That's the basics of it, but
there are many deep meanings hidden in the three page short story. Poe uses techniques such as first
person narrative, irony and style to pull off a believable sense of paranoia. In this particular story,
Poe decided to write it in the first person narrative. This technique is used to get inside the main
character's head and view his thoughts and are often exciting. The narrator in the Tell–Tale Heart is
telling the story on how he killed the old man while pleading his sanity. To quote a phrase...show
more content...
Poe's economic style of writing is a key instrument in making this story amazing. In this story, he
uses his style to truly bring out what he intended for the story – a study of paranoia. In example, "I
loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no
desire. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture–– a pale
blue eye with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me my blood ran cold, and so by degrees, very
gradually, I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for
ever. " it is easy to see that Poe used short sentences, to capture the rapid thoughts of a twisted mind.
Perhaps the biggest element in this story is the use of irony, both verbally and dramatically. For
verbal irony, we can see clearly at the end that what the narrator tells the officers and how he acts
on the outside, (in a "cool manner", as he puts it) is much different than the chaos on the inside, as
in what he wants to say. He sees the police as "villains" and wishes them to leave, but due to the
situation, he had to keep them there. The more that he assures himself of his sanity near the end of
the story and the more that he thinks that he is acting coolly, eventually leads him to reveal that he
is the one that killed the old man after all. As for dramatic irony, since we know that the narrator is
the one that killed the old man,

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe Essay
Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell–Tale Heart", a short story about internal conflict and obsession,
showcases the tortured soul due to a guilty conscience. The story opens with an unnamed narrator
describing a man deranged and plagued with a guilty conscience for a murderous act. This man, the
narrator, suffers from paranoia, and the reason for his crime is solely in his disturbed mind. He
becomes fixated on the victim's (the old man's) eye, and his conscience forces him to demonize the
eye. Finally, the reader is taken on a journey through the planning and execution of a murder at the
hands of the narrator. Ultimately, the narrator's obsession causes an unjust death which culminates
into internal conflict due to his guilty conscience. The...show more content...
The cold and calculating confession is due to the fact that the narrator has detached himself from all
sense of normal remorse. His madness has rendered him unable to control ordinary emotions.
Instead, he is left begging the reader to praise his cunningly accomplished acts. The narrator states,
"You should have seen me," and then implores again, "You should have seen how wisely I
proceeded – and with what caution – with what foresight – with what dissimulation I went to work!"
(Poe 923). It is apparent to the reader, or anyone of sound mind, that this man is suffering a
mental breakdown due to obsessive paranoia. What triggered his obsession with the victim is
something so simple it cannot be justified. It was the victim's eye! The motivation for murder
according to the narrator was "not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye" (Poe 922).
However, it is possible that the eye symbolizes a necrosis of the narrator's spirit. The narrator uses
terms such as "infuriate", "hideous", "vulture" and "dammed" when describing the eye (Poe 923).
These words are often used to describe the demonization of individuals who commit irrational crimes
against humanity, such as the crime our narrator is confessing to, the murder and dismemberment of
an innocent old man in his sleep. In "The Physiognomical Meaning of Poe's 'The Tell–Tale Heart'",
Edward W. Pritcher states "it

The Tell-Tale Heart
Narration Of The Poe's The Tell Tale Heart The Tell
–Tale Heart" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe
first published in 1843. It is told by an unnamed narrator who endeavors to convince the reader of
his sanity, while describing a murder he committed. It is told by an unnamed narrator who endeavors
to convince the reader of his sanity, while describing a murder he committed; the victim was an old
man with a filmy "vulture–eye", as the narrator calls it. The Tell–Tale Heart" is an 1843 short story by
Edgar Allan Poe. Detectives capture a man who admits to the killing of the old man with a strange
eye. The murder is carefully planned, and the killer hides the old man's body by cutting it into pieces
and hiding it under the floor....show more content...
In his first appearance we find Mr.Otis gearing the sound of footsteps and the clank of metal .But
again here we find Mr Otis offering the tammany rising sun lubricator to the ghost . the hollow
groans and the ghastly green that the ghost used while running through the corridor also gives the
ghost as touch of the usual ghosty appearance .second when Otis family stood in the secret room
behind the panelling they found sir simon's gaunt skeleton chained to a huge iron ring imbedded in
th well.The position of his skeleton told them that he had died out of thirst as his fleshless fingers
were seen trying to grasp an old fashioned trencher and ewer that were placed out of his reach.
Third, when after running from the brockley meadows she took the back staircase to get into the
house as she had seen someone siting there.she thought it to be her mother's maid and got inside the
chamber to ask her to mend her habit . But then she saw that it was actually cantervilla ghost sitting

The Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe Essay
Have you ever done something and wasn't sure why you did it? Or have you ever tried to convince
yourself and others that you weren't in the wrong for doing something bad? Well, the narrator in the
story "The Tell–Tale Heart" does. Edgar Allan Poe is known to write stories that are of Dark
Romanticism. Dark romanticism is a literary genre that showcases gothic stories that portray torture,
insanity, murder, and revenge. The story "The Tell
–Tale Heart" is no different. Edgar Allan Poe does
a great job with making the readers wonder throughout this short story. This allegory makes
reader's questions the narrator motives. Wondering, why he wants to kill the old man? What's
taking him so long to kill the old man? What happens if the old man never opens his 'Evil Eye?'
Will he get away with murder? And Lastly, Is the narrator really insane? Though this is a short
story, Poe shows why "The Tell–Tale Heart" meets the criteria for a good story. The theme, plot,
story structure, characters, setting and style are all self–evident.
The setting of the story takes place in both the old man's house as well as the unnamed narrator
mind. From the beginning, the narrator attempts to prove to his readers that he is sane and that his
actions are justifiable. He opens by telling the readers that if he was mad, then he would not be able
to tell the story. "I heard all things in the heaven and on the earth. I heard many things in hell. How,
then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily

Personal Narrative: The Tell-Tale Heart
Amanda C. (Chipmunk) Lara
When I close my eyes I visualize our first moments on March 18th, 2013, and the nervousness I
had speaking to you. How I was stuttering heavily awkwardly. However, little did I know that
moment would lead into want has blossom today. It makes me smile. Without you in my life I am
once again a nervous wreck. But even with these Goliath opponents against me. I shall not wither.
You still mean the world to me. I feel dreadful causing this plight between us. Knowing that you're
the only woman I want to see across from me.You made me a better person. You gave me the
chance to believe in myself and there's no way that I can pay you back. But my plan is to show you
that I understand.
You are appreciated,
Christopher

The central theme of the short story "The Tale–Tell Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe is that every person
who committed a crime can't escape the punishment. The thematic subjects are guilt,innocence and
the fear of mortality. The sound of the beating heart is interpreted as the narrator's guilt conscious
reminding him of his deed. The narrator finally confesses his crime at the end of the story because
his guilt grows so great that he can no longer hold it in. However, this reading of his confession is
incongruous with his character. At the beginning of the story, the narrator disassociates himself from
the crime, claiming that an invisible force acted on him. The narrator's insistence that he is sane and
the old man's eye is at fault suggests that the narrator does not regret his action; he blames the
murder on external forces that he could not control. Another reading of the story claims that the
narrator kills the old man and confesses because of his own fear of mortality. The way in which he
describes the "vulture–eye" and the old man suggests his fixation on the man's age and frailty. He
hears death –beetles" in the walls and appears obsessed with time. Once he murders the old man,
time seems to stop for him as he loses track of it. He conflates hours and stops focusing on the
ticking of clocks. Then, the narrator begins to feel physical symptoms of disease. He grows weak
and infirm. At this point, the police come to the house, and the sound of the

The Tell-Tale Heart Argumentative Essay
Do you think it's possible to act "insane" to get out of murder charges? It shouldn't be. In the story
"The Tell–Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator confesses to murdering the old man who
was his living acquaintance. He took wise precautions like preparing for days and hiding the body.
He is guilty because he knew exactly what he was doing when committing the crime. He could have
stopped at anytime but he didn't. This was a premeditated murder.
First of all, he prepared for the murder of the old man by watching the old man for a week before
killing him. In his confession, he said, "And this I did for seven long nights," which means he
watched the old man for seven nights before the murder. It wasn't a spur of the moment decision. He
was aware of his actions. He could have stopped one of the nights but continued on, thus was
premeditated murder.
Secondly, he took his time being quiet so as to not awaken the man. He said, "I turned the latch of
his door and opened it – oh so gently!" This means, he knew what his was doing and that he had to
be quiet enough not to awaken the man. The narrator also said, "You should have seen how wisely
i proceeded." This matters because he knew if he had woken the man up, he wouldn't be able to rid
himself of him. The narrator...show more content...
He said, "There was nothing to wash out–no stain of any kind–no blood–spot whatever. I had been to
wary for that. A tub had caught all– Ha! Ha!" The quote means that he chopped up all the body parts
in the tub to get rid of any trace. This matters because he knew if he washed down all the blood
and got rid of any trace of the man, that he could get away with it. With no blood anywhere, no
trace of the old man's remains, he could have gotten away with it. These actions prove that he
thought about what to do with hiding the body prior to the murder. How can you be fully aware of
your actions, yet say you're insane? He's a cold–blooded

The Symbols of Guilt "The Tell–Tale Heart"
In "The Tell–Tale Heart," the poet, Edgar Allan Poe, writes of several different themes. Some of
them include time and human nature. However, the most prevalent themes remain as the themes of
guilt and insanity. The poem revolves around a man that lives with an old man that has an eye that
the narrator fears. He calls it the vulture eye. He believes that it is evil, so he plans to murder the
old man. Edgar Allan Poe expresses the themes of insanity and guilt by using the symbols of the
beating heart, the vulture eye, and the lantern throughout the poem.
In the poem, the beating heart represents the narrator's extreme guilt and remorse for the murdering
of the old man. After the narrator murders...show more content...
In the poem, the lantern represents the narrator's defense against the old man and his evil eye, yet it
proves that he has a mental incapability to see the insane murderer that he is.
Because the narrator is in complete control of where the light shines, he feels more confident in
himself and his plans of murdering the old man. The lantern also shows how he is not able to
recognize that he is a mad man because the lantern only shows life as he wants to view it. The
lantern expresses the narrator's lack of insight and helps him to go through with the old man's
murder because he only sees the evil eye when he sees the old man.
Throughout "The Tell–Tale Heart", Edgar Allan Poe, tries to convey the central themes of guilt and
insanity to the audience. How the narrator tells the story proves the theory completely. He tells his
audience how he plans to kill the old man, and he takes them with him every step of the way.
While telling the readers how he murders the man, he also assures them that he is not mad or
insane. However, the readers know that he is crazy because he kills a harmless old man, that he
claims to love, solely because he fears his eyeball. He is trying to convince himself of this, as well
as, trying to convince his audience. Though he proves to have a mental incapability, he still shows
signs of morality and guilt. The beating heart demonstrates this human quality that he obtains. When
the narrator uses the lantern in his plan, he shows signs of

The Tell Tale Heart Essay
In the "Tell–Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator is extremely uncanny due to the reader's
inability to trust him. Right from the beggining the reader can tell that the narrator is crazy
although the narrator does proclaim that he is sane. Since a person cannot trust a crazy person, the
narrator himself is unreliable and therefore uncanny. Also as the story progress the narrator falls
deeper and deeper into lunacy making him more and more unreliable, until the end of the story
where the narrator gives in to his insanity, and the reader loses all ability to believe him. In the first
lines of "The Tell–Tale Heart", the reader can tell that narrator is crazy, however the narrator claims
the he is not crazy and is very much sane,...show more content...
This quotes shows that the narrator hates the eye not the old man, anyone with whose is "sane"
wouldn't just hate a person because the injured their eye and it was ugly. However an insane
person could just want to kill a person because of a small thing like that and this leads back to the
uncanny and unreliable narrator. The reader here finds that the narrator is acting weird and that
he might hate the old man for another reason but they aren't sure. As the story unfolds the reader
find out that the narrator stalks the old man while he is sleeping. Now that the crazed narrator
has decided to kill the old man, he decides that he must observe the old man and gaze upon the
one thing he hates most, the eye. So for a week strait he quietly sneaks over to the old man's
room, and ever so slowly opens the door and then with great patience he cracks the lantern and
views in upon the old man and his face, but alas the eye is covered and so he has no reason to kill
the old man. "And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it – oh, so
gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern, all
closed, closed, so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head," (Poe 74). From these lines
the reader gathers that the narrator is extremely methodical to the point of obsessive compulsive
about

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