The short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe, is well known for its twisted unique theme and horrific setting. The story is written in the first point of view by the protagonist himself. The story takes place in the narrator’s sick and twisted mind as he tells us his story of paranoia, murder, and fear. In the beginning, the narrator repeatedly tries to convince the readers that he is not mad by saying, “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!” (Poe,105). The story continues with the narrator explaining that he loved the old man, however, the old man’s “eye of the vulture” caused
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To many people, a person’s eye is a great indicator on how a person feels, thinks, and what their personality is like: however, that is not the case with the old man in this story. The narrator tells us that the old man was a good person and says, “He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult” (Poe, 150). This means that the eye symbolizes the narrator’s evil mind better than the old man himself. The narrator proves that by stating that once he saw the eye, he couldn’t even see the old man’s face or person, just the eye. The narrator describes the eye as "evil" and comparing it to that of a "vulture" (Poe, 150). The narrator can be described as evil because of the murder he committed because of “the eye” and for no other reason. Not only did he just murder the old man, but he cut up the body, hid the remains under his floor boards, and found pride in his evil actions. He can also be described as a vulture because he watched the old man for days and killed him just because his instincts told him …show more content…
Throughout the story, the narrator presented himself as emotionless and non-empathetic by taking pride in his actions, watching the old man, and even boasted about leaving no traces to find. Towards the end of the short story, it’s almost like the narrator became human again when he heard the heart beating and began to feel paranoia flood through his body. At first, the heart beat was very quiet so the narrator didn’t think too much of it; however, his paranoia caused him to think the heart beat was growing louder and louder. “It was a low, dull, quick sound --much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath --and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly --more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased” (Poe, 150). After he heard the beating heart, he revealed that he had a conscience and was shown to have actual moral feelings. “Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! and now --again! --hark! louder! louder! louder! louder! “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,
To many people, a person’s eye is a great indicator on how a person feels, thinks, and what their personality is like: however, that is not the case with the old man in this story. The narrator tells us that the old man was a good person and says, “He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult” (Poe, 150). This means that the eye symbolizes the narrator’s evil mind better than the old man himself. The narrator proves that by stating that once he saw the eye, he couldn’t even see the old man’s face or person, just the eye. The narrator describes the eye as "evil" and comparing it to that of a "vulture" (Poe, 150). The narrator can be described as evil because of the murder he committed because of “the eye” and for no other reason. Not only did he just murder the old man, but he cut up the body, hid the remains under his floor boards, and found pride in his evil actions. He can also be described as a vulture because he watched the old man for days and killed him just because his instincts told him …show more content…
Throughout the story, the narrator presented himself as emotionless and non-empathetic by taking pride in his actions, watching the old man, and even boasted about leaving no traces to find. Towards the end of the short story, it’s almost like the narrator became human again when he heard the heart beating and began to feel paranoia flood through his body. At first, the heart beat was very quiet so the narrator didn’t think too much of it; however, his paranoia caused him to think the heart beat was growing louder and louder. “It was a low, dull, quick sound --much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath --and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly --more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased” (Poe, 150). After he heard the beating heart, he revealed that he had a conscience and was shown to have actual moral feelings. “Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! and now --again! --hark! louder! louder! louder! louder! “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,