The Evil Eye In Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell Tale Heart

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It can be easier to judge other’s flaw, because it is can be difficult to see our own. However, can a flawed eye be worth killing an innocent and old man or can the act be justified by the murder himself? The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe is a short story that is told by the murder to justify the reason to kill the old man. This short story, written in 1843, is a classic example of the Gothic Era of American literature, which is characterized by horror, violence, supernatural effects, taste for medieval, and wilderness or old house settings. Such characteristics in The Tell Tale Heart captivated the attention of many American, and this mysterious story is a reflection some people character by seeing the murder’s point of view. Therefore, …show more content…
The eye is introduced when the narrator’s describes the encounters with the old man’s flawed “vulture eye” and “evil eye.” “Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold” (Poe 715). This quote shows the narrator felt terrified by the eye, and that terror was evil to him. Such terror was the main justification he decided to kill the old man. However, the flawed and “evil eye,” in reality, represents the narrator’s own eye or evil perception. As stated in the passage, the harmless old man never did anything to the narrator. “He had never given me insult” (Poe 715). Despite that, the narrator was blind by having more concern about his fear for the eye than the old man’s life. Furthermore, seeing one’s emotions, like the narrator’s fear, as a priority over life is an evil point of view that harms others. Thus, when the narrator kills the innocent old man, Poe demonstrates the evilness of possessing a selfish personality. In conclusion, the evil eye the narrator saw in the old man in reality reflects the narrator’s selfishness, yet the flawed heart symbolize the narrator’s flawed …show more content…
The narrator’s gender is revealed through the narrator persuasion that he is not mad the beginning. The narrator contrasts himself from madness by stating, “Madmen know nothing” (Poe 715), and he is wise. “You should have seen how wisely I proceeded.” Furthermore into the story, the narrator contrasts his wisdom by leading the reader to believe that madmen are not wise. Although madwoman is not a common word choice, it could have clarified what gender the narrator was. Also, the narrator’s aggressive character stereotypically associates to more to masculinity. “I grew furious… this excited me to uncontrollable wrath” (Poe 717). Moreover, since this story was published in 1843, when there was a certain manner women and men were supposed to behave, I believe the narrator is a male.
In conclusion, The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe is a classical American Literature short story written in the Gothic Era. This is a mysterious short story and it is up to the reader to figure out whether the narrator is the protagonist or antagonist of the story. Therefor by analyzing the text the reader identify the true character of the narrator. In essence, my interpretation of the narrator is that he is a selfish, ruthless, and male

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