Analysis of Setting in Tell-Tale Heart Edgar Allan Poe created a dark, scary setting in “Tell-Tale Heart” by using the elements of mood and atmosphere, population, and man-made geography.
The first technique Poe used is mood and atmosphere. He utilized lighting to create a dark and ominous atmosphere. One way Poe employed lighting is when he mentions that the events occur at midnight (538:2). He created trepidation in the reader by taking advantage of the fact that midnight is seen as a dark and unsettling time of day. Another way he utilized lighting is when he has the murderer use a lantern covered in black (538:2). When he talked about the murderer and the black lantern, the reader is assured that the old man is about to meet his end. He employed lighting in a similar way when he indicates that the old man’s room was black as pitch (538:4). By making the room pitch black, as well as making the old man basically blind in the room, both the old man and reader feel terrified because of what or better yet, who lurks in the dark. …show more content…
Poe used population to create a lonely, quiet setting. He applied population when he had the murderer watch the old man at midnight (538:2). He used midnight for population because midnight is usually seen as a lonely, “deserted” time of day and the murderer needs this element to stalk and eventually kill the old man. Another way he employed population is when the three policeman appear at the old man’s house (541:3). The population is still scarce even after the policemen are added and when a population is scarce, the setting is usually lonely or “creepy”. He also used population when the policemen tell the murderer that they were informed of the old man’s shrieks by a neighbor (541:3). The police only knew to check the old man’s house because of the neighbor and it raises a question in the reader’s mind; who is the
The first technique Poe used is mood and atmosphere. He utilized lighting to create a dark and ominous atmosphere. One way Poe employed lighting is when he mentions that the events occur at midnight (538:2). He created trepidation in the reader by taking advantage of the fact that midnight is seen as a dark and unsettling time of day. Another way he utilized lighting is when he has the murderer use a lantern covered in black (538:2). When he talked about the murderer and the black lantern, the reader is assured that the old man is about to meet his end. He employed lighting in a similar way when he indicates that the old man’s room was black as pitch (538:4). By making the room pitch black, as well as making the old man basically blind in the room, both the old man and reader feel terrified because of what or better yet, who lurks in the dark. …show more content…
Poe used population to create a lonely, quiet setting. He applied population when he had the murderer watch the old man at midnight (538:2). He used midnight for population because midnight is usually seen as a lonely, “deserted” time of day and the murderer needs this element to stalk and eventually kill the old man. Another way he employed population is when the three policeman appear at the old man’s house (541:3). The population is still scarce even after the policemen are added and when a population is scarce, the setting is usually lonely or “creepy”. He also used population when the policemen tell the murderer that they were informed of the old man’s shrieks by a neighbor (541:3). The police only knew to check the old man’s house because of the neighbor and it raises a question in the reader’s mind; who is the