The first passage of the “The Tell Tale Heart,” suggests that we have stepped in the middle of a conversation. Since the first sentence is dialogue, we get the sense that the narrator is responding to a question he as been asked while trying to convince that person that he is not “mad.” We are given the impression that there is some questioning occurring due to all the dashes in the passage. This gives a sense that the narrator is being interrupted while he is giving his statement, resulting in a lot of disorder. In addition, the opening “True!” emphasizes the nervousness of the narrator as it is followed with an exclamation point. Moreover, we get the impression the narrator is being accused of insanity. This impression is driven from the
