Tell-Tale Heart is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe that recounts a disturbing tale about a man that murders the old man he resides with. The story begins with the narrator exposing that he suffers from a disease that does not affect him in a negative manner, instead he says “The disease had sharpened my senses - - not destroyed - - not dulled them” (Poe, para. 1). In making this comment the character lets the readers know that he recognizes that he is ill, however not to be deceived because the condition had only made him better. As the story progresses the narrator recounts in an explicit manner how he plotted the assassination against the nameless old man. Then, he continues on to disclosing the motive behind the murder he committed.
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The narrator begins as mentioned before by informing the readers that he suffers from a disease, however he emphasizes that instead of being detrimental it has made him better. In an attempt to prove his sanity he notes on the first paragraph “Hearken! and observe how healthily - -how calmly I can tell you the whole story” (Poe, para. 1). The previous line notes that the character will narrate a crime that occurred in the past. But the author also uses it to suggest that because of the narrator’s ability to express the event serenely he enjoys a healthy mind. Later in the story, the authors introduces the motive behind the crime that was committed. For instance, in the text it states, “Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult” (Poe, para. 2). In other words this was not a crime of passion nor was there any wrong doing on the victim’s part to cause the narrator to have any ill feelings towards him. But, he then notes “for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye” (Poe, para. 3). That is to say that the dark reason behind this murder is the hallucination that the old man possesses a third eye, which seems to be malevolent of shorts. This also supports the idea that the narrator does not have a clear grasp on reality. Additionally, at the end of the story when
The narrator begins as mentioned before by informing the readers that he suffers from a disease, however he emphasizes that instead of being detrimental it has made him better. In an attempt to prove his sanity he notes on the first paragraph “Hearken! and observe how healthily - -how calmly I can tell you the whole story” (Poe, para. 1). The previous line notes that the character will narrate a crime that occurred in the past. But the author also uses it to suggest that because of the narrator’s ability to express the event serenely he enjoys a healthy mind. Later in the story, the authors introduces the motive behind the crime that was committed. For instance, in the text it states, “Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult” (Poe, para. 2). In other words this was not a crime of passion nor was there any wrong doing on the victim’s part to cause the narrator to have any ill feelings towards him. But, he then notes “for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye” (Poe, para. 3). That is to say that the dark reason behind this murder is the hallucination that the old man possesses a third eye, which seems to be malevolent of shorts. This also supports the idea that the narrator does not have a clear grasp on reality. Additionally, at the end of the story when