The Tell-Tale Heart Edgar Allen Poe’s work, titled The Tell-Tale Heart, uses elements symbolism, tone, and horror to emphasize the theme of guilt and how it effects you. Although more elements of fiction can be seen within the story, these three elements allow the reader to understand the narrator’s situation and the theme of the story. With very little detail and simple sentences, Poe manages to show just how simple it is for guilt to make you crazy. Poe’s usage of symbolism in The Tell-Tale Heart adds a deeper meaning to the simple, every-day objects introduced in the story. The biggest and possibly easiest use of symbolism to recognize can be seen when the narrator talks about the heart beating. The narrator describes the beating of the
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The story starts off with the narrator trying to prove his sanity by explaining how he came up with the plan. He says, “Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. 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!” He even questions why someone would think he’s mad saying, “The disease had sharpened my senses — not destroyed — not dulled them.” It’s as if he knows what he’s about to do is wrong, so he has to explain it for it to seem valid. The narrator expresses his feelings towards the old man and said he didn’t have any issues with him, just his eye. According to the narrator, the old man’s eye “resembled that of a vulture” and had a pale blue film over it. This shows the world of the narrator and the viewpoint of the reader. We don’t know what type of disease or disorder the narrator has or what he’s thinking, just what’s explained in the story and why he thinks what he did was …show more content…
Each night he’d peer into the room and focus a lantern onto the man’s eye for hours to make sure everything was perfect. “Never, before that night, had I felt the extent of my own powers — of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was, opening the door, little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea; and perhaps he heard me; for he moved on the bed suddenly, as if startled. Now you may think that I drew back — but no,” the fear in the old man motivated him. The old man was in a very vulnerable state and the narrator knew it. A place that was supposed to be so safe became so dangerous to the old
The story starts off with the narrator trying to prove his sanity by explaining how he came up with the plan. He says, “Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. 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!” He even questions why someone would think he’s mad saying, “The disease had sharpened my senses — not destroyed — not dulled them.” It’s as if he knows what he’s about to do is wrong, so he has to explain it for it to seem valid. The narrator expresses his feelings towards the old man and said he didn’t have any issues with him, just his eye. According to the narrator, the old man’s eye “resembled that of a vulture” and had a pale blue film over it. This shows the world of the narrator and the viewpoint of the reader. We don’t know what type of disease or disorder the narrator has or what he’s thinking, just what’s explained in the story and why he thinks what he did was …show more content…
Each night he’d peer into the room and focus a lantern onto the man’s eye for hours to make sure everything was perfect. “Never, before that night, had I felt the extent of my own powers — of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was, opening the door, little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea; and perhaps he heard me; for he moved on the bed suddenly, as if startled. Now you may think that I drew back — but no,” the fear in the old man motivated him. The old man was in a very vulnerable state and the narrator knew it. A place that was supposed to be so safe became so dangerous to the old