Thet hemat i cs ubj ec tma ybegui l t ,butt het hemei st hatt hehumanhear tc annot endur et hebur denofgui l t ,es pec i al l yi nt hec as eofmur der .Thegui l t ymu mus t conf esssome mehoworbeconsume medbyhi s/ herconsci ence. Hi nt :Whenev ery ouar el ook i ngf ort het hemei nas t or y ,as kyour s el f ,whati dea aboutl i f e c omest omymi mi ndaf t err eadi ngt hi sst or y ?Or ,i st her es omek i ndof l es s onl ear nedb yan yoft hec har ac t er s ?Us ual l y , t het hemec anbeappl i edt o mor et hanj us tt hes t or y .
Su mma mm r ya ndAn al y s i s" Th eT el l T al eHe ar t "
Summar y Ev ent hought hi si soneofPoe' sshor t es ts t or i es ,i ti snev er t hel es sapr of oundand,at t i mes ,ambi guousi nv es t i gat i onofaman' spar anoi a.Thes t or ygai nsi t si nt ens i t ybyt he manneri nwhi c hi tpor t r a y sho wt henar r at ors t al k shi sv i c t i m — ast houghhewer ea beas tofpr ey ;y et ,att hes amet i me,el ev at edbyhumani nt el l i genc et oahi gherl ev el of humane ndea v or ,Poe' s" mur der er "i sc r eat edi nt oat y peofgr ot es queanomal y . I na s ens e,t hen ar r at ori swor s et hanab eas t ;o nl yahumanbei n gc oul ds oc ompl e t el y t er r or i z ehi svi c t i m bef or efi nal l yk i l l i ngi t ,as ,f orex ampl e,t henar r at ordel i ber at el y t er r or i z est heol dmanbef or ek i l l i nghi m.Andasnot edi nt hei nt r oduc t i ont ot hi ss ec t i on, t hi ss t or ys howst henar r at or ' sat t emptt or at i onal i z ehi si r r at i onal behav i or . Thes t or ybegi nswi t ht henar r at oradmi t t i ngt hathei sa" v er ydr eadf ul l yner v ous "t y pe. Thi st y pei sf oundt hr oughoutal l ofPoe' sfic t i on,par t i c ul ar l yi nt heov er wr ought ,hy per s ens i t i v eRoder i c kUs heri n" TheFal l oft heHous eofUs her . "Aswi t hUs her ,t henar r at or h er eb el i e v e st h ath i sn er v o us n es sh as" s h ar p en edmys e ns e s— n otd es t r o y e d— n ot dul l edt hem. "Thus ,hebegi nsbys t at i ngt hathei sn o tmad,y ethewi l l c ont i nuehi sst or y andwi l l r ev eal notonl yt hathei smad,butt hathei st er r i bl yma mad.Hi ssens i t i v i t i esal l ow hi mt ohearands ens et hi ngsi nheav en,hel l ,andonear t ht hatot herpeopl ear eno t ev enawar eof .Hi sov er s ens i t i v i t ybec omesi nt hi ss t or yt heul t i mat ec aus eofhi s obs es s i onwi t ht heol dma man' se y e,whi c hi nt ur nc aus eshi mt omur dert heol dman.
I r oni c al l y ,t henar r at oroffer saspr oofofhi ssani t yt hec al mnes swi t hwhi c hhec an nar r at et hes t or y . Thes t or ybegi nsbol dl yandunex pec t edl y :" Il ov edt heol dman, "t henar r at ors ay s , a dd i n g," Heha dn ev e rwr on ge dme . "Ne x t ,her e v ea l st ha th ewa sobsessedw so dwi t ht heol d man' sey e— " t hee y eofav ul t ur e— apal ebl uee y e,wi t hafi l mo v eri t . "Wi t houtan y r eal mot i v at i on,t hen,ot hert hanhi sps y chot i cobs es si on,hedec i dest ot ak et heol d man' sl i f e. Ev e nt houghhek no wst hatwe,t her eader s ,mi ghtc ons i derh i m madf ort hi sdec i s i o n, y e thepl anst opr o v ehi ss ani t ybys ho wi ngho w" wi s el y "andwi t hwhate x t r eme pr ec aut i on,f or es i ght ,anddi s si mul at i onheex ec ut edhi sdeeds .Ev er yni ghtatt wel v e o' c l oc k ,hewoul ds l owl yopent hedoor ," ohs ogent l y , "andwoul dqui et l yandc unni ngl y pok ehi she adv e r ys l o wl yt hr ought hedoor .I twoul ds ome t i mest ak ehi m anhourt ogo t h atf a r— " wo ul dama dma nh av ebe ens owi s east h i s ? "h ea s k s ,t h uss h owi n g,h e h op es ,h owt h or o ug hl yob j e c t i v eh ec a nb ewh i l ec ommen t i n go nt heh or r i b l ede edh e c o mmi mm t t e d. Fors ev enn i ght s ,heopenedt hedoore v ers oc aut i ous l y , t henwhenhewasj us ti ns i de, heopenedhi sl ant er nj us tenoughs ot hatones mal ma l r ayofl i ghtwoul dc as ti t st i nyr ay upon" t hev ul t ur ee y e. "Thef ol l o wi ngmor ni ng,h ewoul dgoi nt ot heol dman' sc hamb er ands peakt ohi m wi t hc or di al i t yandf r i ends hi p. Ont h ee i gh t hni gh t ,h ed ec i d edi twa sno wt h et i met oc ommi tt h ed ee d.Wh enhes a y s " If ai r l ychuc kl edatt hei dea, "wek nowt hatwear ei ndeeddeal i ngwi t hahi ghl y di s t ur bedper s onal i t y— des pi t et hef ac tt hathes eemst opr es enthi ss t or yv er y c oher ent l y . Ont hi spar t i c ul arni ght ,unl i k et hepr ec edi ngs ev enni ght s ,t henar r at or ' shands l i pped ont hec l as poft hel ant er n,andt heol dmani mmedi at el y" s pr angupi nbed,c r y i ngout —' Who' st her e?' "Hec ans eenot hi ngbec aus et hes hut t er sar eal l c l os ed.Her e,asi n mos tofPoe' sst or i es ,t heac t i onpr operoft hes t or yt ak espl ac ewi t hi nac l os ed s ur r oundi ng— t hati s ,t hemur deroft heol dmani swi t hi nt hec onfi nesofhi ss mal ma l bedr oom wi t ht hes hut t er sc l os edandi nc ompl e t edar k nes s .
Fur t her mor e,asi nwor k sl i k e" TheCas kofAmont i l l ado, "t hemoansoft hev i c t i m hei ght ent het er r oroft hes t or y . Theol dman' smoanswer e" l o ws t i fl eds oundst hat ar os ef r om t hebo t t om oft hesou lwheno v er c har gedwi t hawe. "Then ar r at ork ne wt hat t h eo l dma nf el tt hathewasi nt her oom and,dr amat i c al l y , whenheopenedhi sl ant er nt o l etas mal l r ayofl i ghtout ,i t" f el l f ul l upont hev ul t ur eey e. "Whenhes awt hat" hi deous v ei l ede y e, "hebec amef ur i ous .Buthewar nst her eadernott omi s t ak ehi s" o v er a c ut en es soft hes e ns e s"f orma dn es sbe ca us eh es a y st h ats u dd enl yt h er ec a met oh i s ear s" al ow,dul l ,qui c ks ound" :I twast hebeat i ngoft heol dman' shear t .I ti satt hi spoi nt i nt hes t or yt hatwehav eourfi r s tambi gui t ybas edupont henar r at or ' sov er s ens i t i v i t y andma dnes s .Theques t i o ni s ,ob vi ous l y , whos eh ea r td oe shehe ar ?Weal l k n owt h at i nmoment sofs t r es sandf r i ghtourownhear t beati nc r eas ess or api dl yt hatwef eel ev er ybeat .Cons equent l y ,f r om t heps yc hol ogi c al poi ntofv i ew,t henar r at ort hi nk st hat hei shear i nghi sowni nc r eas edhear t beat . Ashewai t s ,t hehear t beatwhi c hhehear dex c i t edhi mt ounc ont r ol l abl et er r or ,f ort he hear ts eemedt obe" beat i ng...l ouder[ and]l ouder . "Thenar r at orwass uddenl yawar e t hatt heol dman' shear t beatwassol oudt hatt henei ghbor smi ghtheari t .Thus ,t het i me h adc o me.Hedr a gge dt h eo l dma nt ot h efl o or ,pu l l e dt hema t t r es so v erh i m an ds l o wl y t h emu ffle ds o u ndoft h eh ea r tc e a s edt obe at .Th eo l dma nwa sd ea d— " h i se y ewo ul d t r o ub l emenomo r e . " Agai nt henar r at orat t empt st os howust hatbec aus eoft hewi s epr ec aut i onshet ook ,no onec oul dc ons i derhi mt obemad,t hathei s ,i nf ac t ,n o tma d.Fi r s t ,h ed i s me mb er e d t heo l dma n,a ndaf t er wa r dt he r ewa sno tas p otofb l oo da ny wh er e :" At u bh adc a ug ht al l — ha!ha! "Themer enar r at i onher es howshowt henar r at or ,wi t hhi swi l dl aught er , hasi ndeedl os thi sr at i onal f ac ul t i es .Li k ewi s e,t hedel i ghthet ak esi ndi s member i ngt he ol dmani sanac tofe x t r emeabnor mal i t y . Af t ert hedi s member i ngandt hec l eani ngupwer efi ni s hed,t henar r at orc ar ef ul l y r emo v edt hepl ank sf r om t hefl oori nt heol dman' sr oom andpl ac eda l l t hep ar t soft he bodyundert hefl oor .Ashes ur v e y edhi swor k ,t hedoorb el l r angat4A. M.Thepo l i c e wer et her et oi nv es t i gat es omes hr i ek s.( T ot her eader ,t hi si sanunex pec t edt ur nof
e v ent s ,buti ns uc ht al es ,t heune xp ec t edbec omest henor mal ;s eet hes ec t i onon " Edg arAl l a nPo ea ndRo man t i c i s m. " ) Thenar r at oradmi t t edt hepol i c et ot hehous e" wi t hal i ghthear t "s i nc et heol dman' s hear twasnol ongerbeat i ng,andhel ett hepol i c et hor oughl ysear c ht heent i r ehous e. Af t er war d,hebadet hepol i c et os i tdown,andhebr oughtac hai randsatupon" t hev er y s p otbe ne at hwhi c hr ep os e dt h ec o r p seo ft h ev i c t i m. "Th eo ffic er swer es oc o nv i nc e d t hatt her ewasnot hi ngt obedi s c ov er edi nt heapar t mentt hatc oul dac c ountf ort he s hr i ek st hatt heysatar oundc hat t i ngi dl y .Thens uddenl yanoi s ebeganwi t hi nt he nar r at or ' sear s .Hegr e w agi t at edands pok ewi t hah ei ght enedv oi c e.Thes ound i nc r eas ed;i twas" al ow,dul l qui c ks ound. "Wes h oul dn ot et h att h ewo r d su s edh er et o des c r i bet hebeat i ngoft hehear tar et hee xac twor dsus edonl ymoment sear l i ert o d es c r i bet h emu r d ero ft heo l dma n. Ast hebe at i ngi nc r eas ed,t hen ar r at or" f oamed[ and]r a v ed"adj ec t i v e sc ommonl yus ed t oappl yt oamadman.I nc ont r as tt ot het ur moi l goi ngoni nt henar r at or ' smi nd,t he pol i c ec ont i nuedt oc hatpl eas ant l y .Thenar r at orwonder showi twaspos s i bl et hatt hey d i dno th ea rt hel o udb ea t i ngwh i c hwa sb ec o mi n gl o ud era ndl o ud er .Hec a ns t a ndt h e h or r o rn ol o ng erbe c au s eh ek n owst h at" t he ywe r ema k i ngamo ck e r yofmyho r r o r... [ and]any t hi ngwasbet t ert hant hi sagon y! "Thus ,ast hebeat i ngoft hehear tbec omes i nt ol er abl e,hes cr eamsoutt ot hepol i c e:" Iadmi tt hedeed!— t earupt hepl ank s!her e, her e!— i ti st hebeat i ngofhi shi deoushear t ! " Ear l yc omment at or sont hes t or ysawt hi sasmer el yanot hert al eoft er r ororhor r ori n wh i c hs omet hi n gs uper nat ur al washap peni ng.T ot hemoder nr eader ,i ti sl es s ambi guous ;t hebeat i ngoft hehear toc cur swi t hi nt henar r at orhi ms el f .I ti ses t abl i s hed att hebegi nni ngoft hes t or yt hathei sov er s ens i t i v e— t hathec anhearandf eel t hi ngs t hatot her scannot .Att heendoft hes t or y ,i ft her er eal l ywer eabeat i nghear tupunder t hefl oorboar ds ,t hent hepol i c ewoul dhav ehear di t .Cl ear l y ,t henar r at or ,whohasj us t fi n i s h edt heg r u es omea c to fd i s me mb er i n gac or p s e,c an no tc o pewi t ht h eh i g hl y e mo t i o na lc h al l e ngene ede dwh ent hep ol i c ea r es ea r c h i ngt h eh ou se .The s et wo f ac t or scaus ehi shear tr at et oac cel er at et ot hepoi ntt hathi shear t beati spoundi ngi n hi sear ss ol oudl yt hathec annots t andt heps y c hol ogi c al pr es s ur ean yl onger .Thushe
c onf es sest ohi shor r i bl edeed.Thenar r at or ' s" t el l t al e"h ear tc aus eshi mt oc onv i c t hi ms el f . Weha v eher e,t hen,anar r at orwhobel i ev est hathei sn o tma db ec a us ehec anl o gi c a l l y des c r i beev e nt swhi c hs ee mt op r o v eh i mt obema d.Th ec o nc i s e nes soft h es t or yan d i t si nt ens i t yandec onomyal l c ont r i but et ot het ot al i mpac tandt heov er al l uni t yofeffec t . I nt henar r at or ' sbel i eft hathei snotmad,butt hatheac t ual l yhear dt hehear toft heol d mans t i l l beat i ng,Poehasgi v e nuson eoft hemos tpo wer f ul e x ampl esoft hec apac i t yof t hehumanmi ndt odec ei v ei t s el fandt hent os pec ul at eont henat ur eofi t sown des t r uc t i on.
The Tell-Tale Heart Poe, Edgar Allan
Summary The unnamed narrator of the story is a "dreadfully nervous" character who disputes the allegation that he might be cray! He contends that his disposition arises from a heightening of the senses "Above all was the sense of hearing acute" #$%&! The narrator provides care for a wealthy elderly man! 'or some ine(plicable reason, the n arrator becomes obsessed with the diseased eye of the old man! The narrator li)ens it to a vulture*s eye and is so haunted by the Evil Eye that he decides to murder the old man! He meticulously plans the murder! After one wee) of preparation, the narrator charges into the old man*s bedroom after midnight and )ills him using the heavy bed the victim had been sleeping in to either crush or suffocate him! Even after the murder, the victim*s heart continues beating for many minutes! The narrator carefully dismembers the body in a tub! He conceals all the pieces under the floor boards! At four o*cloc) in the morning, three policemen arrive! A neighbor heard a scream and notified the police! They are here to investigate! The narrator maintains his composure and even entertains the police! After all, he has committed the perfect crime! Suddenly, he hears a repetitive noise li)e the tic)ing of a watch! At first soft, the sound grows louder and louder! +o one else hears it! hat is the cause of the noise--paranoia, his conscience, auditory hallucinations, a supernatural clue, or #most li)ely& the sound of his own pounding heart The narrator can no longer tolerate the thumping and
confesses to the murder ". admit the deed/--tear up the p lan)s/--here, here/--it is the beating of his hideous heart/" #$0&
1ommentary The Tell-Tale Heart is a classic e(ample of the psychological story! The frenetic diction of the narrator and his repeated pleas to the reader #"How, then, am . mad" #$%& and "but why will you say that . am mad" #$%& only reinforce the suspicion that he is mentally ill! 2eyond his manic monologue, there is the narrator*s creepy fascination with the old man*s eye as further proof of lunacy! hat is it about that eye--"a pale blue eye, with a film over it" 3p$%4--that so ve(es the n arrator 1linically, the description suggests a common cataract--hardly a reason to murder the o ld man! The terror on display is both internal #the mind of the narrator& and e(ternal #the grisly murder&! The passage of time in this short story is noteworthy! Time can be unbearably slow and astonishingly fast! Poe*s emphasis on repetition and rhythm #tic)ing and beating& contributes to the tension of the tale! This horror story is actually about the demise of two men! .t is not 5ust a masterful portrait of madness but an e(ample of how guilt can ma)e an already craed man even craier! The narrator asserts ". heard all things in the heaven and in the earth! . heard many things in hell" #$%&! 6dds are he truly did!
7iscellaneous The story was originally published in 80%9!
Primary Source The :old-2ug and 6ther Tales
Publisher ;over Thrift Edition
Place Published +ew
Edition 8==8
Editor Stanley Appelbaum
Page 1ount >
Edgar Allan Poe?s "The Tell-Tale Heart" hen reading a story of this nature, one must be reminded not to ta)e horror in Poe too autobiographically! The narrator?s "nervousness" is a fre@uently used device of Poe to establish tone and plausibility through heightened states of consciousness! "The Tell-Tale Heart" was first published in ames Bussell Cowell?s The Pioneer in anuary 80%9, and it appeared again in The 2roadway ournal on August D9, 80%>!
Setting
The story covers a period of approximately eight days with most of the important action occurring each night around midnight. The location is the home of an elderly man in which the narrator has become a caretaker. Characters
This story contains a nameless narrator, an old man and the police who enter near the end of the story after the mention, that they were called by a neighbor whose suspicions had been aroused upon hearing a scream in the night. The protagonist or narrator becomes the true focus of the tale. This narrator may be male or female because Poe uses only "I" and "me" in reference to this character. Most readers assume that the narrator is a male because of a male author using a rst person point of view! however, this story can also be plausible when the derranged protagonist appears as a woman. Most critics would argue this point by saying that Poe would "assume" that the reader would "know" that the protagonist was male, therefore, he would see no need to identify his sexless narrator. owever, Poe was a perfectionist who left very little to guesswork. #ould it be that this was no accident or something that he thought would be universally understood, but that Poe was creating a story whose impact could be changed simply by imagining this horrendous and vile deed being committed by a woman$ Point of View
Poe writes this story from the perspective of the murderer of the old man. %hen an author creates a situation where the
protagonist tells a personal account, the overall impact of the story is heightened. The narrator, in this particular story, adds to the overall e&ect of horror by continually stressing to the reader that he or she is not mad, and tries to convince us of that fact by how carefully this brutal crime was planned and executed. Style and Interpretation
Poe's story is a case of domestic violence that occurs as the result of an irrational fear. To the narrator that fear is represented by the old man's eye. Through the narrator, Poe describes this eye as being pale blue with a lm over it, and resembling that of a vulture. (oes the narrator have any reason to fear the old man or his eye$ Is it this phobia that evokes the dark side, and eventually drives the narrator to madness$ )r could Poe be referring to a belief whose origins could be traced back to *reece and +ome$ The belief in the evil eye dates back to ancient times, and even today, is fairly common in India and the countries bordering the Mediterranean ea. +eferences are made to it in -ewish, Islamic, uddist and indu faiths. The belief centers around the idea that those who possess the evil eye have the power to harm people or their possessions by merely looking at them. %herever this belief exists, it is common to assign the evil eye as the cause of unexplainable illnesses and misfortunes of any kind. To protect oneself from the power of the eye, certain measures can be taken. In Muslim areas, the color blue is painted on the shutters of the houses, and found on beads worn by both children and animals. There is also a specic hand gesture named the "and of /atima," named after the daughter of Mohammed. This name is also given to an amulet in the shape of hand that is worn around the neck for protection. In some locations, certain phrases, such as " as *od will" or "*od bless it" are uttered to protect the individual from harm. In extreme
cases, the eye, whether voluntarily or not, must be destroyed. )ne lavic folktale relates the story of the father who blinded himself for fear of harming his own children with his evil eye. %ould Poe have had knowledge of this rather strange belief$ It is altogether possible that he would have, which creates another interesting twist to this story. Maybe the narrator who tries to convince us that madness is not really the issue, is telling the truth. Maybe this vile act is necessary in order to destroy the power of the old man's evil eye0 Theme
uman nature is a delicate balance of light and dark or good and evil. Most of the time this precarious balance is maintained! however, when there is a shift, for whatever reason, the dark or perverse side surfaces. ow and why this "dark side" emerges di&ers from person to person. %hat may push one individual "over the edge" will only cause a raised eyebrow in another. In this case, it is the "vulture eye" of the old man that makes the narrator's blood run cold. It is this irrational fear which evokes the dark side, and eventually leads to murder. The narrator plans, executes and conceals the crime! however, "1w2hat has been hidden within the self will not stay concealed...." 3ilverman 4567 The narrator speaks of an illness that has heightened the senses8 "9bove all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heavens and in the earth. I heard many things in hell." The narrator repeatedly insists that he3she7 is not mad! however the reader soon reali:es that the fear of the vulture eye has consumed the narrator, who has now become a victim to the madness which he had hoped to elude.
The Ruined City! Analysis The 6ld English poem, The Ruined City describes a place of ruins and muses of the fate and fortunes of it?s former inhabitants! The poet may have had in mind "A Boman City", the former splendor of which is contrasted with it?s dilapidation in!
The Tell-Tale HeartF #80%9& Summary An unnamed narrator opens the story by addressing the reader and claiming that he is nervous but not mad! He says that he is going to tell a story in which he will defend his sanity yet confess to having )illed an old man! His motivation was neither passion nor desire for money, but rather a fear of the man*s pale blue eye! Again, he insists that he is not cray because his cool and measured actions, though criminal, are not those of a madman! Every night, he went to the old man*s apartment and secretly observed the man sleeping! .n the morning, he would behave as if everything were normal! After a wee) of this activity, the narrator decides, somewhat randomly, that the time is right actually to )ill the old man! hen the narrator arrives late on the eighth night, though, the old man wa)es up and cries out! The narrator remains still, stal)ing the old man as he sits awa)e and frightened! The narrator understands how frightened the old man is, having also e(perienced the lonely terrors of the night! Soon, the narrator hears a dull pounding that he interprets as the old man*s terrified heartbeat! orried that a neighbor might hear the loud thumping, he attac)s and )ills the old man! He then dismembers the body and hides the pieces below the floorboards in the bedroom! He is careful not to leave even a drop of blood on the floor! As he finishes his 5ob, a cloc) stri)es the hour of four! At the same time, the narrator hears a )noc) at the street door! The police have arrived, having been called by a neighbor who heard the old man shrie)! The narrator is careful to be chatty and to appear normal! He leads the officers all over the house without acting suspiciously! At the height of his bravado, he even brings them into the old man*s bedroom to sit down and tal) at the scene of the crime! The policemen do not suspect a thing! The narrator is comfortable until he starts to hear a low thumping sound! He recognies the low sound as the heart of the old man, pounding away beneath the floorboards! He panics, believing that the policemen must also hear the sound and )now his guilt! ;riven mad by the idea that they are moc)ing his agony with their pleasant chatter, he confesses to the crime and shrie)s at the men to rip up the floorboards!
Analysis Poe uses his words economically in the Tell-Tale HeartFGit is one of his shortest storiesGto provide a study of paranoia and mental deterioration! Poe strips the story of e(cess detail as a way to heighten the murderer*s obsession with specific and unadorned entities the old man*s eye, the
heartbeat, and his own claim to sanity! Poe*s economic style and pointed language thus contribute to the narrative content, and perhaps this association of form and content truly e(emplifies paranoia! Even Poe himself, li)e the beating heart, is complicit in the plot to catch the narrator in his evil game! As a study in paranoia, this story illuminates the psychological contradictions that contribute to a murderous profile! 'or e(ample, the narrator admits, in the first sentence, to being dreadfully nervous, yet he is unable to comprehend why he should be thought mad! He articulates his selfdefense against madness in terms of heightened sensory capacity! nli)e the similarly nervous and hypersensitive Boderic) sher in The 'all of the House of sher,F who admits that he feels mentally unwell, the narrator of The Tell-Tale HeartF views his hypersensitivity as proof of his sanity, not a symptom of madness! This special )nowledge enables the narrator to tell this tale in a precise and complete manner, and he uses the stylistic tools of narration for the purposes of his own sanity plea! However, what ma)es this narrator madGand most unli)e PoeGis that he fails to comprehend the coupling of narrative form and content! He masters precise form, but he unwittingly lays out a tale of murder that betrays the madness he wants to den y! Another contradiction central to the story involves the tension between the narrator*s capacities for love and hate! Poe e(plores here a psychological mysteryGthat people sometimes harm those whom they love or need in their lives! Poe e(amines this parado( half a century before Sigmund 'reud made it a leading concept in his theories of the mind! Poe*s narrator loves the old man! He is not greedy for the old man*s wealth, nor vengeful because of any slight! The narrator thus eliminates motives that might normally inspire such a violent murder! As he proclaims his own sanity, the narrator fi(ates on the old man*s vulture-eye! He reduces the old man to the pale blue of his eye in obsessive fashion! He wants to separate the man from his Evil EyeF so he can spare the man the burden of guilt that he attributes to the eye itself! The narrator fails to see that the eye is the .F of the old man, an inherent part of his identity that cannot be isolated as the narrator perversely imagines! The murder of the old man illustrates the e(tent to which the narrator separates the old man*s identity from his physical eye! The narrator sees the eye as completely separate from the man, and as a result, he is capable of murdering him while maintaining that he loves him! The narrator*s desire to eradicate the man*s eye motivates his murder, but the narrator does not ac)nowledge that this act will end the man*s life! 2y dismembering his victim, the narrator further deprives the old man of his humanity! The narrator confirms his conception of the old man*s eye as separate from the man by ending the man altogether and turning him into so many parts! That strategy turns against him when his mind imagines other parts of the old man*s body wor)ing against him! The narrator*s newly heightened sensitivity to sound ultimately overcomes him, as he proves unwilling or unable to
distinguish between real and imagined sounds! 2ecause of his warped sense of reality, he obsesses over the low beats of the man*s heart yet shows little concern about the man*s shrie)s, which are loud enough both to attract a neighbor*s attention and to draw the police to the scene of the crime! The police do not perform a traditional, 5udgmental role in this story! .ronically, they aren*t terrifying agents of authority or brutality! Poe*s interest is less in e(ternal forms of power than in the power that pathologies of the mind can hold over an individual! The narrator*s paranoia and guilt ma)e it inevitable that he will give himself away! The police arrive on the scene to give him the opportunity to betray himself! The more the narrator proclaims his own cool manner, the more he cannot escape the beating of his own heart, which he mista)es for the beating of the old man*s heart! As he confesses to the crime in the final sentence, he addresses the policemen as 3v4illains,F indicating his inability to distinguish between their real identity and his own villainy!
I nt hes t or y ," TheT el l T al eHear t " ,byEdgarAl l enPoet her ear emanyas pec t sf or s o me on e wh oi si n t e r e s t e di nt h e wo r k i n gso ft h eh uma n mi n d.Asy o ur e adt h i s s t o r yy o uwi l ls eet h ebr ea k do wno ft h eh uma nmi n da ndho w pa r a noi aa ndi n s ani t y gohandi nhand.Her ei spar t i aldes cr i pt i oni nr ef er enc et ot henar r at or ' spar anoi a. Thenar r at ors eest hee y esoft heol dmanas" t hatofav ul t ur e–apal ebl uee y e, wi t hafi l mo v eri t .Whene v eri tf el lupo nme,mybl oodr a nc ol d"( Po e922) .Bec aus e oft heol dman' sey et henar r at or ' spar anoi amak eshi mf eelhemus tk i l lt heol dman t o" r i dmy s el foft heey ef or ev er "( Poe922) .I ns ani t yi sanot herp sy c hol ogi c alpoi nt whi c hs t andsout ,t henar r at ort ak escar eoft heol dmans eei ngt ohi scomf or t sand mak i ngs ur eh ei sok a yal lt hewhi l epl anni ngt ok i l lhi m bec au seofhi se y e.He r el a yst hes t or yofhow f ors ev enni ght shehasbeent r y i ngt ogetupt hec our aget o k i l lt heol dmanhefi nal l yr es ol v est oc ompl et et het as k .Ont heei ght hni ghthehas fi nal l yc omeal lt hewa yi nt ot her oom,hes hi nest hel i ght si nt her oom s ohec ans ee andt hel i ghti mmedi at el ygoest ot hev ul t ur ee y e.Hes t ar t shear i ngas oundwhi c h hek nowsi st hebeat i ngoft heol dman' shear t .Het henr el at est hat" hav eInott ol d y o ut h atwha ty o umi s t a k ef o rmad ne s si sbu to v era c ut en es sofs e ns e s "( Po e9 23 ) . Thi si ss ho wi nghi sl e v elofi ns ani t yhasi nc r eas edasn oo nec anr eal l yhea rt he beat i ngoft heol dman' shear t .Af t erhek i l l st heol dmanhet hengoesont ot el lus h ow h efi n i s h edt h emu r d er .Hewa nt st oma k es u r eweu nd er s t a ndh ei ss t i l ln ot madheknowsexact l ywhathei sdoi ng.Hedi smember st heol dman,bur i eshi m u nd ert h eh ou s ea ndc h ec k se v er y t h i n gt oma k es u r et h er ei snoe v i d en c eo fa ny
wr o ng .J u s ta sh eh asc o mp l e t e dt h es et a s k st h ep ol i c ek n oc ko nt h ed oo r .Th e nar r at orpr oc ee dst oe x pl ai nt ot hepol i c et hes oundt henei ghb orhear dwashi m. The ol d man has gone t ot he count r y ;he sho ws t hem ar ound t he house t o ac knowl edget hatal li sasi ts houl dbe.Het hens i t sdownt ot al kwi t ht hepol i c e,and hi si ns ani t ys t ar t st omani f es t si t s el fagai nashehear st hebeat i ngoft heol dman' s hear t .Hec annol ongers t andt hepr es s ur eandc onf es s est ot hemur der .
I nt hes t or y ," TheT el l T al eHear t " ,byEdgarAl l enPoet manyaspect sf or her ear e s o me on e wh oi si n t e r e s t e di nt h e wo r k i n gso ft h eh uma n mi n d.(t her ear emany a s pe c t swh i c hc a nat t r a c ts o me on ewh oi si n t e r e s t e di nt hewor k i n gso ft h eh uma n mi nd. ) Asy o ur eadt hi ss t or y , y o uwi l l s eet h ebr eak do wnoft hehumanmi ndandho w par anoi aandi ns ani t ygohandi nhand.Her ei spar t i aldes cr i pt i oni nr ef er enc et ot he nar r at or ' spar anoi a.Thenar r at ors eest heey esoft heol dmanas" t hatofav ul t ur e– apal ebl uee y e,wi t hafi l mo v eri t .Whenev eri tf el l uponme,mybl oodr anc ol d"( Poe 9 22) .Be c aus eo ft h eo l dman ' se y et h en ar r at or ' sp ar a no i ama k eshi mf e el t h a the mus tk i l lt heol dmant o" r i dmy sel foft heey ef or ev er "( Poe922) .I ns ani t yi sanot her ps y c hol ogi c alpoi ntwhi c hs t andsout ,t henar r at ort ak esc ar eoft heol dmans eei ng t ohi sc omf or t sandmak i ngs ur ehei sok ayal lt hewhi l epl anni ngt ok i l lhi m bec aus e ofhi sey e.Her el a yst hes t or yofhow f ors ev enni ght shehasbeent r y i ngt ogetup t he c our age t ok i l lt he ol d man,hefi nal l yr es ol v e st oc ompl e t et he t as k .On t he ei ght hni ght ,hehasfinal l yc omeal lt hewayi nt ot her oom,hes hi nest hel i ght si nt he r oomf orabet t erv i ew a ndt hel i ghti mmedi at el ygoest ot hev ul t ur ee y e.Hes t ar t s h ea r i n g as o un d wh i c hh ek n owsi st h eb ea t i n go ft h eo l dma n' sh ea r t .Het h en r el a t e st h at" ha v e Ino tt o l dy o ut h atwh aty o u mi s t ak ef o rma dn es si sb uto v er ac ut enes sofs ens es "( Poe923) .Thi si ss howi nghi sl ev elofi ns ani t yhasi nc r eas ed asnoonec anr eal l yheart hebeat i ngoft heol dman' shear t .Af t erhek i l l st heol d manhet hengoesont ot el lushow hefini shedt hemur der .Hewant st omakesur e weust oun der s t andhei ss t i l lno tmadbec aus ehek no wsex ac t l ywhathei sdoi ng. Hedi smember st heol dman,bur i eshi m undert hehouseandchecksever yt hi ngt o mak esur es ot h att h er ei sn oe v i d en c eo fa nywr o ng .J u s ta sh eh asc o mp l e t e d
t hes et as k st hepol i c ek noc kont hedoor .Thenar r at orpr oc eedst oe x pl ai nt ot he p ol i c et h es o un dt h en ei g hb orh ea r d wa shi m hi s.The ol d man hasgone t ot he c oun t r y ;hes ho wst hem ar oundt hehou set oac k no wl edg et hata l li sasi ts houl dbe. Het hens i t sdownt ot al kwi t ht hepol i c e,andhi si ns ani t ys t ar t st omani f es t si t s el f a gai nasheh ea r st h eb eat i n go ft h eol dman ' sh ea r t .Hec a nn ol on ge rs t a ndt h e pr es s ur e
and
c onf es s es
t obet he
mur der .
It hi nkt haty ous houl dl e tot her sknowhowy ouwantt hem t oc or r ec ty ourwr i t i ng.My adv i c ei st haty o us houl d us e punc t ua t i o nc or r ec t l yand eff ec t i v e l ya nd t haty o u s houl dshor t eny ours ent enc esanddi v i dey ourwr i t i ngi nt os omepar agr aphs . " TheT el l T al eHe ar t " Ed ga rAl l a nPo e Thef ol l owi ngent r ypr es ent sc r i t i c i s m ofPoe' ss hor ts t or y" TheT el l T al eHear t "( 1843) . Seeal s o,Th eNa r r at i v eo fAr t h urGor d onPy m Cr i t i c i s m and" TheFal l oft heHous eof Us her "Cr i t i c i s m.Fori nf or mat i ononPoe' sc ompl et ec ar eer ,s eeNCLC,Vo l u me s55, and117. Amongt heman ys t r angeandcompl e xs hor ts t or i esofPoe," TheT el l T al eHear t "has c omet obek no wnason eoft hemos tmy s t er i ousandps y c hol ogi c al l yi nt r i gui ng.Poe' s pr eoc c upat i onswi t hdeat h,wi t hmadnes s ,andwi t ht r oubl edhumanr el at i ons hi psal l fi nd t hei rc ul mi nat i oni nt hi sbr i efnar r at i v e.Themur deroft heol dmanandi t saf t er mat h, whi c hf or mt hec ent eroft hes t or y ,ar et ol dwi t hdaz z l i ngc l ar i t y ,ac l ar i t yt hati t s el f obs cur est hemeani ngoft heac tandc al l si nt oques t i ont heemot i onal s t abi l i t yoft he unnamednar r at or .Thes ubj ec t i v i s m oft hi sst or y ,t hec onf us i onoft hel i nebet ween r eaderandc har ac t erwi t hi nt henar r at i v e,andt heus eofl anguages uppor tt hec l ai m t hatPoepr efi gur esandi n deedde v el opsman yoft het r opesus ual l yas s oc i at edwi t h mor er ec entfi c t i on. Bi ogr a phi c alI nf or ma t i on " TheT el l T al eHear t "waswr i t t enandpubl i s heddur i ngt hemos tf ur i ous l ypr oduc t i v e phas eofPoe' sl i f e,whenhel i v edi nPhi l adel phi awi t hhi sy oungwi f eVi r gi ni a( ac ous i n) andhermot her .Dur i ngt hi sper i odhewasal s oedi t i ngt hel i t er ar yj our nalBur t on' s Ge nt l e ma n' sMa g az i n e,andi n1840hehadc ol l ec t edhi spr ev i ous l ypubl i s hedt al es i nt oT al e soft h eGr o t e s qu ea ndAr a be s qu e,i nc l udi ngt hepopul ar" TheFal l oft heHous e
ofUs her "a ndt hegr i m" Ki n gPes t . "No wi nhi sf or t i es ,Poehadbec omeawel l k no wn wr i t erofs hor tfi ct i on,ev ent houghhi seduc at i onwasunev en( hel ef tt heUni v er s i t yof Vi r gi ni adur i nghi sfi r s ty ear )andheex per i enc edc ons t antfi nanc i al s t r uggl es .Ear l y wor k sofpoet r yhadbeenl ar gel ynegl ec t edbyt hel i t er ar ysc ene,butfi v es t or i eswer e publ i s hedi nt hePhi l adel phi aSun da yCour i er i n1832.Fr om t hatpoi ntonwar d,Poe' s s t or i esappear edi nj our nal st hr oughoutt heUni t edSt at es .Yetper i odi cs et bac k si nhi s f or t unes( hi swi f e' si l l nes s,c ont i nui ngal i enat i onf r om hi sunc l eJ ohnAl l en,whohad r ai s edhi m,andhi si nabi l i t yt os ec ur eas t abl es our c eofi nc ome)t r i gger edfi t sof depr es si on,whi c hPoet endedt oaggr av at ebyt ur ni ngt oal c ohol .I nt hes t or i esoft hi s per i od,t hemoodofPoe' s wor k sv ar i escons i der abl y ,bet weent hef ant as t i cnar r at i v eofas l eepwal k eri n " Mes mer i cRev el at i on, "t hes t r angel ywr ought" Li f ei nDeat h"as t udyoft her el at i ons hi p bet weenar tandl i f e,andt hehor r i fi cpor t r ay al ofmur deri n" TheBl ac kCat . "Thel as t s t or yi sonet hati sof t enl i nk edt o" TheT el l T al eHear t , "asbot hhav et hef or m ofa nar r at edc onf es si onofv i ol enc eandmur derwi t houtdi r ec t l yaddr es si ngt her eas onf or t hec r i me.Thes et wos t or i esmar kPoe' si nc r eas i ngi nt er es ti nandabi l i t yt opor t r ayt he ps y chol ogi c al l ygr ues omeandt hes uper nat ur al ,aswel l ashi sr et ur nt opoet r y . Pl ota ndMa j orCha r a ct e r s Thes par s epl otof" TheT el l T al eHear t "c onc er nst he" mur deraf or et hought "ofanol d man,whoi snev ernamednordes c r i bedf ul l y , byt henar r at or ,whoi sal s one v er i dent i fi ed.I t snar r at i oni sc l ear l yr et r os pec t i v ebutot her wi s eunl oc at ed;t he c i r c ums t anc esoft hec onf es s i onoft hi scr i mear enev erdes c r i bed,ands oi ts eemst hat t henar r at ori ss peak i ngdi r ec t l yandpas si onat el yt ot her eader .Thes equenc eofev ent s i ss i mpl eenough:t henar r at ori sdi s t ur bedbyt hee y eofanol dman;hec ompl ai nst hat " oneofhi sey esr es embl edt hatofav ul t ur e—apal ebl uee y e,wi t hafi l m ov eri t . "The nar r at ordec i dest or i dhi ms el foft hi sey ebyki l l i ngt heol dman.Thi si sac compl i s hed af t ers ev enpai ns t ak i ngni ght sofc r eepi ngi nt ot heman' sr oom i nor dert os eei ft he off endi nge y ei sopen.I ti sonl yont heei ght hni ghtt hatt heol dmanopenshi sey es ,and t hec r i mei scommi t t ed.Howt hemani sac t ual l yki l l edi snotdes cr i bedi ndet ai l :t he nar r at ormer el ys ay st hathepul l s" t hehea vybedov erhi m. "Thi ss ameni ght ,he d i s me mb er st h eb od ya ndh i d esi tb en ea t ht h efl o or b oa r d so ft h ema n' sr o om.So on af t er ,t hr eepol i c eoffic er s ,whoal s or emai nanon ymousandc har ac t er l es s ,ar r i v e ( pr es umabl yt oi nv es t i gat et het er r i fi eds hr i ekoft heol dman) .Al t hought henar r at or t ak espr i dei nhi scal mc ompor t mentt owar dt heoffic er sast he ys i tdi r ec t l yabov et he hi di ngpl ac eoft heol dman' sbody ,hedi s cer nsanoi s e," al ow,dul l ,qui c ks ound"t hat
hei dent i fi esast hehear t beatoft heol dman.I nr ageanddes per at i on,c on vi nc edt hat t hepol i c eoffic er sal s oheart hi snoi s eandhav edet ec t edhi sgui l t ,hec onf es sest ot he c r i me.Att hi spoi ntt henar r at i v eabr upt l yends . Maj orThemes Thes l owandappar ent l yr eas onabl ebegi nni ngoft henar r at i v egr adual l yqui c k ens t owar di t sf ev er i s hc onc l us i on;t hel anguageoft hes t or y ,par t i c ul ar l yt heus eofdas hes t oex pr es st heobs cur ec onnec t i onsoft het al eandt her epet i t i onst hatmar kt he emphat i cdeni al ofi ns ani t y ,i soneofi t smos ts t r i k i ngf eat ur es .Theni net eent hc ent ur y c onc er nwi t hdeat handmadn es sa ppeari nman yofPoe' ss t or i es ,buti n" TheT el l T al e Hear t "t hes et hemesseem t ohav ebeendi s t i l l edi nt oanunpar al l el edi nt ens i t y .The s t r angev ac i l l at i onbet weenbar enar r at i on( t her eaderi sgi v ennos et t i ngbey ondt he wal l soft hehous e,nohi s t or ybey ondt heev ent soft hepl ot ,andnoc har ac t er i z at i onat al l be y ondwhatma ybegl eanedf r om t henar r at or ' sex c i t edt al e)andt hemagni fi c at i on ofc r i t i c al moment s( t henar r at or ' spat i entv i gi l att hedooroft heol dman' sr oom andt he r epet i t i onoft hehear t beatt hatpr ov ok est henar r at or ' sc onf es si on) .I ndeed,asi n dr eams ,t hes ens eoft i mei nt hes t or yi sadi s t or t edr efl ec t i onof" or di nar y "t i me;i ti st hi s s t r angenes s,al ongwi t ht het er r i bl ec l ar i t yoft henar r at i onandt hev oc i f er ous pr ot es t at i onsofs ani t y ,t hatl eadt her eadert os us pec tt heemot i onal heal t hoft he nar r at or .Thec onf es si oni snotanex pl anat i on,al t houghi ts uper fi ci al l yappear st obe one:t hee y eoft heol dman,whi c hb ec omesanobs es s i v eobj ec toft henar r at or ' s at t ent i on.Thei nt er nal t ens i onoft henar r at or ,whi c hl eadshi mt ounder s t andt het er r or oft heol dmanandt oant i c i pat et her es pons esofhi sl i s t ener / r eader ,dr amat i c al l y under s cor est heunc er t ai ns t at usoft henar r at i v e:asr eal i t yorhal l uc i nat i on,i nv ol v i ng t woper s onsoras i ngl es pl i ts ubj ec t ,andt heaudi enc et owhi c hi ti sdi r ec t ed. Cr i t i calRecept i on OneofPoe' smos tpopul arandant hol ogi z eds t or i es ," TheT el l T al eHear t "i scons i der ed as t u nn i n ge x amp l eoft h ed ee pc o nn ec t i o nsb et we ent h eGo t h i ct a l ea ndmo de r n fi ct i on,es pec i al l yi ni t si nnov at i v eus eoft hes ubj ec t i v enar r at i v eandi t sps yc hol ogi c al l y r i c hpor t r ay al ofahumans i t uat i ont hatr emai nss i mul t aneous l ys t r angeandf ami l i ari n i t si nt i mac y .Poe' spopul ar i t yi nEur ope,ex empl i fi edbyJ ac quesLac an' sc el ebr at ed s t udyof" ThePur l oi nedLet t er " ,r efl ec t shi swor k s' affini t i eswi t hps yc hoanal y t i ct r opes , s uc hast heunc ons c i ous ,r epr es s i on,andt hes i gni fi c anc eoft hegaz e.Man yc r i t i c s c l ai mt hatt hemadnes sordr eaml i k equal i t yoft henar r at i v ei sunambi guous ,andhav e gones of arast odi agnos et henar r at orwi t hpar anoi ds c hi z ophr eni a,amedi c al defi ni t i on
unk nowni nPoe' sage.Thef r equent l yci t edobs es s i onwi t ht i meandmor t al i t yt hat i nhabi t sPoe' swr i t i ngi sev i denti n" TheT el l T al eHear t "aswel l .Thi shasl eds ome r ec ents chol ar st oar guet hatt henar r at ori sst r uggl i ngagai ns thi sowndeat handi n J amesW.Gar g ano' swor ds" t h et y r ann yoft i me, "whi c hhehaspr o j ec t edont ot hefigur e oft heol dman.Thenar r at i v ehassugges t edt oot her s ,par t i c ul ar l yChr i s t opherBenf ey , ani nt er nal i z edc onfl i c tbet weent heneedf ori nt er per s onal c ont ac tandt hedes i r et o pr ot ec tones el ff r om t hev ul ner abi l i t yt hatar i s eswi t hs uc hc ont ac t .Thes t y l eofwr i t i ng dr awst her eaderi nt ot henar r at i v ebyappear i ngt ot r ans cr i bedi r ec t l yt hepas si onat e c onf es si onofaf as ci nat i ngi ful t i mat el yr epul s i v ec har ac t er .Thec ombi nat i onof s ur r eal i s m andi mmedi ac yt hatc ons t i t ut est hepec ul i ar i t yoft henar r at i v edi s r upt ssi mpl e orc onv ent i onal i nt er pr et at i ons .Theps y chol ogi c al c ompl ex i t yofbot ht hec ont entandt he f or m of" TheT el l T al eHear t "hascont i nuedt ogr i pbot ht hec r i t i c al andpopul ar i magi nat i on,andant i c i pat esmor er ec entfi ct i onal ex pl or at i onsi nt ot hec onc eal ed i nt r i c ac yoft hehumanc ondi t i on.
Plot Summary 2y 7ichael ! 1ummings ...I DJJ>
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!!!!!!!!The narrator has been so nervous that he 5umps at the slightest sound! He can hear all things on heaven and earth, he says, and some things in hell! 2ut he maintains that he is not mad! To prove his sanity, he says, he will calmly tell the reader his story! !!!!!!!6ne day, he decided to ta)e the life of an old man for no other reason e(cept that he had an eye resembling that of a vultureKa pale blue eye with a film over it!F 6ver time, it became so unbearable to loo) upon it that the narrator had no other choice but to get rid of the old man! The way he went about the tas), with such calculation and cunning, demonstrates that he is not mad, the narrator says! !!!!!!!At midnight, he would turn the )nob on the door of the old man*s bedroom! Then he would open the door ever so slowly! .n fact, it would ta)e him an hour to open the d oor wide enough to po)e his head into the room! ould a madman have been so cautious Then he would open a little slot on his lantern, releasing light, to chec) the hideous eye! 'or seven straight nights, it was closed, and so it was impossible to do the wor),F he says, for it was not the old man who ve(ed me but his Evil Eye!F !!!!!!!6n the eighth night, the narrator opened the d oor with greater caution than before! As before, the room was completely dar)! He was about to shine the lantern when the old man sat up and said, ho*s thereF The narrator did not answer but remained in place, not moving a muscle, for an entire hour! All the while, the old man continued to sit up, wonderingKthe narrator speculatedKwhat he had heard! The wind A mouse A cric)et !!!!!!!Although he did not hear the old man lie down again, the narrow open the lantern slot 5ust a sliver, then wider! The beam fell upon the open vulture e ye! Then the narrator heard a low, muffled soundKthe beating of the man*s heart/ 6r so he believed! The heartbeat louderKthen louder and louder! ould a neighbor hear it !!!!!!!Shouting, the narrator rushed into the room! After the old man shrie)ed, the narrator @uic)ly threw himto the floor and pulled the bed on top of him! The heart continued to beat, but only softly! 7oments later, the beating stopped! The narrator chec)ed his pulse! +othing! The old man was dead! After moving the bed aside, the narrator too) up three floorboards, secured the old man between the 5oists, and replaced the boards! The narrator felt proud of himself, for there was no blood to wash out, no other tas) of any )ind to do! !!!!!!!At % a!m!, 5ust when he had f inished his wor), the narrator answered a )noc) at his front door! hen he opened it, three policemen entered, saying a neighbor had reported hearing a shrie), possibly
indicating foul play! They needed to search the premises! . smiled,F the narrator says, for what had . to fearF !!!!!!!After welcoming the police, he told them the shrie) was his ownL he had cried out during a dream! He also told them that the old man who lived in the house was away in the country! +e(t, he too) the police all over the house, inviting them to search everythingKthoroughly! After they entered the old man*s chamber, the narrator pointed out that the old man*s possessions had not been disturbed! !!!!!!!.n his swelling self-confidence, the narrator brought in chairs and invited the policemen to rest! . myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim,F the narrator says! !!!!!!!The police appeared completely satisfied that nothing criminal had occurred in the house! However, they continued to chat idly, staying much longer than the narrator had e(pected! 2y and by, he began to hear a rhythmic ringing in his head! hile he was tal)ing with the police, the noiseKwhich had the cadence of a tic)ing watch but a much louder soundKpersisted, becoming more distinct! A moment later, he concluded that the rhythmic ringing was outside of him! Still, he tal)ed on, now more loudly! The policemen did not seem to hear the noise! !!!!!!!hen it grew even louder, the narrator rose and began arguing with the officers about trivial matters, punctuating his conversation with wild hand movements! He also p aced bac) and forth! Then he raved and cursed and dragged his chair over the floorboards, all in an apparent attempt to drown out the noise he was hearing! 7eanwhile, it grew still louder, and louder, and louder! How was it possible that they could not hear it !!!!!!!.n fact, they must have heard it, the narrator decided! And they must have suspected him of a crime all along! Their calm manner and idle chatter were part of a ruse to moc) him! nable to broo) their counterfeit behavior any longer, unable to endure the sound any longer, the narrator brought the whole business to a crashing clima(! !!!!!!!"Millains/ . shrie)ed, "dissemble no more/ . admit the deed/ K tear up the plan)s/ K here, here/ K it is the beating of his hideous heart/" /.
Setting The story opens in an undisclosed locale, possibly a prison, when the narrator tells readers that he is not mad! To defend his sanity, he tells a story which he believes will prove him sound of mind! His story is set in a house occupied by the narrator and an old man! The time of the events in the story is probably the early 80%J?s, when Poe wrote the story! The action in the narrator?s story ta)es place over eight days!
Characters The Narrator ;eranged unnamed person who tries to convince the reader that he is sane! The narrator?s gender is not identified, but Poe probably intended him to be a man! Here is why Poe generally wrote from a male perspective, often infusing part of himself into his main characters! Also, in ma5or short stories in which he identifies the narrator by genderKstories such as "The 2lac) 1at," "The 1as) of Amontillado," and "The 'all of the House of sher"Kthe narrator is male! 'inally, the narrator of "A TellTale Heart" e(hibits male characteristics, including #8& A more pronounced tendency than females to commit violent acts! Statistics demonstrate overwhelmingly that murder is a male crime! #D& Physical strength that would be unusual in a female! The narrator drags the old man onto the floor and pulls the bed on top of him, then tears up floorboards and deposits the body between 5oists! #9& The narrator performs a man?s chore by bringing four chairs into the old man?s bedroom, one for the narrator and three for the policemen! .f the narrator were a woman, the policemen probably would ha ve fetched the chairs! 2ut they did not! The Old Man Seemingly harmless elder who has a hideous "evil eye" that unnerves the narrator! Neighbor Person who hears a shrie) coming from the house of the narrator and the old man, then reports it to the police!
Three Policemen 6fficers who search the narrator?s house after a neighbor reports hearing a shrie)! Type of or! Short story in the horror genre that focuses on the psyche of the narrator !
"ear of Publication "The Tell-Tale Heart" was first published in the winter of 80%9 in
The Pioneer , a
2oston magaine!
Themes Theme # A human being has a perverse, wic)ed sideKanother selfKthat can goad him into doing evil things that have no apparent motive! This is the same theme of another Poe story, "The 2lac) 1at!" The narrator of "The Tell-Tale Heart" admits in the second paragraph of the story that he committed a senseless crime, saying "6b5ect there was none! Passion there was none! . loved the old man! He had never wronged me! He had never given me insult! 'or his gold . had no desire!" However, he does note that his evil deed, murder, was not entirely unprovo)edL for the old man he )illed had a hideous eye that unnerved him! nable to loo) upon it any longer, he decided to )ill the old man! Theme $ 'ear of discovery can bring about discovery! At the end of the story, the narrator begins to crac) under the pressure of a police investigation, hearing the sound of the murdered man?s beating heart, and tells the police where he hid the body! 'ear of discovery is the principle under which lie detectors wor)! Theme % The evil within is worse than the evil without!! The old man has a hideous, repulsive eyeL outwardly, he is ugly! 2ut, as the narrator admits, he is otherwise a harmless, well-meaning person! The narrator, on the other hand, is inwardly ugly and repulsive, for he plans and e(ecutes murderL his soul is more repulsive than the old man?s eye!
Point of &ie' The story is told in first-person point of view by an unreliable narrator! The narrator is obviously deranged, readers learn during his telling of his tale, even though he declares at the outset that he is sane! As in many of his other short stories, Poe does not name the narrator! A possible e(planation for this is that the unnamed narrator becomes every human being, thereby enhancing the universality of the short story! .n other words, the narrator represents anyone who has ever acted perversely or impulsivelyKand then had to pay for his deed!
Prose (eats )i!e a *eart 'rom time to time, Poe uses a succession of short sentences or word groups, creating a rhythm not unli)e that of a heartbeat! +ote the following e(amples from the story 6b5ect there was none! Passion there was none! . loved the old man! He had never wronged me! He had never given me insult! 'or his gold . had no desire! . thin) it was his eye/
louder/ louder/ C6;EB/ K "Millains/" . shrie)ed, "dissemble no more/ . admit the deed/ K tear up the plan)s/ K here, here/ K it is the beating of his hideous heart/"
+igures of Speech As in other wor)s of his, Poe uses many figures of speech! E(amples are the following Anaphora Anaphora is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of a clause or another group of words! Anaphora imparts emphasis and balance! Here are boldfaced e(amples from "The Tell-Tale Heart" , heard all things in the heaven and in the earth! , heard many things in hell! ith what cautionK'ith what foresight, 'ith what dissimulation, . went to wor)/ *e had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not! *e had been saying to himself, ",t isnothing but the wind in the chimney, it is only a mouse crossing the floor," or, ",t is merely a cric)et which has made a single chirp!" There was nothing to wash outKno stain of any )indKno blood-spot whatever! They heard/Kthey suspected/Kthey N+E/Kthey were ma)ing a moc)ery of my horror/ Personificaton ;eath in approaching him had stal)ed with his blac) shadow before him and enveloped the victim! 3Here, ;eath is a person!4 Simile So . opened itKyou cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthilyKuntil at length a single dim ray li)e the thread of the spider shot out from the crevice and fell upon the vulture eye! 3The simile is the comparsion of the ray to the thread of the spider with the use of the word like! .t increased my fury as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage! 3The simile is the comparison of the heartbeat to a drumbeat!4 His room was as blac) as pitch with the thic) dar)ness! ! ! ! 3The simile is the comparison of the dar)ness to pitch!4 Alliteration *ear !en/ and observe how healthily, how calmly, . can tell you the 'hole story! 7eanwhile, the hellish tattoo of the heart increased! .t is the beating of his hideous heart/ .rony . was never )inder to the old man than during the whole wee) before . )illed him!
Author ,nformation Edgar Allan Poe was born on anuary 8=, 80J=, in 2oston! After being orphaned at age two, he was ta)en into the home of a childless coupleKohn Allan, a successful businessman in Bichmond, Ma!, and his wife! Allan was believed to be Poe*s godfather! At age si(, Poe went to England with the Allans and was enrolled in schools there! After he returned with the Allans to the !S! in 80DJ, he studied at private schools, then attended the niversity of Mirginia and the !S! 7ilitary Academy, but did not complete studies at either school! After beginning his literary career as a poet and prose writer, he married his young cousin, Mirginia 1lemm! He wor)ed for several magaines and 5oined the staff of the New York
Mirror newspaper
in 80%%! All the while, he was battling a drin)ing problem! After the Mirror published his poem The BavenF in anuary 80%>, Poe achieved national and international fame! 2esides pioneering the development of the short story, Poe invented the format for the detective story as we )now it today! He also was an outstanding literary critic! ;espite the acclaim he received, he was never really happy because of his drin)ing and because of the deaths of several people close to him, including his wife in 80%$! He fre@uently had trouble paying his debts! .t is believed that heavy drin)ing was a contributing cause of his death in 2altimore on 6ctober $, 80%=!
