Most people associate the word insane with some type of mental disorder. Some associate it with insane asylums. Some people even associate the word insane with themselves. But how does one categorize a person as insane? When is it okay to assume their insanity? In Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” it is apparent that the main character is insane when he plots how to kill a man because he does not like his eye. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, one could characterize the main character as insane after she begins to develop and obsession with the women she sees trapped in her wallpaper. Despite the distinctive plots of their stories, through the words of their narrators and various uses of imagery and symbolism, Gilman
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Poe’s nameless narrator begins the story by asking readers rhetorical questions such as, “Why will you say I am mad?” and “how, then am I mad?” (Poe 1). The readers can obviously see that there is something wrong with him, but he simply believes that he is “very, very dreadfully nervous” (Poe 1). These questions asking the readers what they think about the narrator become a common reoccurrence throughout the story. Poe’s multiplicity of these rhetorical questions demonstrates the narrator’s uncertainty regarding his sanity and his desire for reassurance that he is not insane. Despite his uncertainty, Poe’s narrator is extremely confident in himself going as far as saying, “What have I to fear?” several times after he murdered the vulture-eyed man (2). This confidence once again illustrates the narrator’s denial that he is insane. Gilman’s narrator, also nameless, is not as confident. As illustrated by the repetition of “John says” several times throughout the story, the narrator is unwillingly obedient to her husband who persuades her to do things she does not want to do. John, the narrator’s husband and doctor, supposedly knows what to do to cure his wife’s “temporary nervous depression” and presses her to do everything he says (Gilman 648). Gilman uses a great deal of …show more content…
Poe’s story is filled with imagery; beginning with the description of “the eye of a vulture – a pale blue eye, with film over it,” and ending with the sound of “the beating of the old man’s heart,” he uses imagery to paint the readers a picture (1-2). By being specific and using sensory words, Poe is able to give the readers a visual of what is occurring. The most obvious use of imagery and perhaps the most effective is Poe listing the steps he took each night for a week in preparation for the murder. By doing this Poe makes the reader feel as if they are experiencing this event alongside the narrator. This feeling is heightened when Poe, in addition to imagery, uses short choppy sentences which help create a mood of suspense. By creating such a clear picture for the readers, Poe is able to really illustrate how insane the narrator’s actions are, and how insane the narrator is. Imagery is vital when it comes to describing the yellow wallpaper. Based on the narrator’s negative descriptions of the wallpaper, “the color is repellant, almost revolting,” it is easy for the readers to infer that she is not particularly fond of it (Gilman 649). In addition to the narrator repeatedly describing the pattern and how it makes her feel, Gilman uses vivid adjectives and precise descriptions of the wallpaper to give the readers a mental image.
Poe’s nameless narrator begins the story by asking readers rhetorical questions such as, “Why will you say I am mad?” and “how, then am I mad?” (Poe 1). The readers can obviously see that there is something wrong with him, but he simply believes that he is “very, very dreadfully nervous” (Poe 1). These questions asking the readers what they think about the narrator become a common reoccurrence throughout the story. Poe’s multiplicity of these rhetorical questions demonstrates the narrator’s uncertainty regarding his sanity and his desire for reassurance that he is not insane. Despite his uncertainty, Poe’s narrator is extremely confident in himself going as far as saying, “What have I to fear?” several times after he murdered the vulture-eyed man (2). This confidence once again illustrates the narrator’s denial that he is insane. Gilman’s narrator, also nameless, is not as confident. As illustrated by the repetition of “John says” several times throughout the story, the narrator is unwillingly obedient to her husband who persuades her to do things she does not want to do. John, the narrator’s husband and doctor, supposedly knows what to do to cure his wife’s “temporary nervous depression” and presses her to do everything he says (Gilman 648). Gilman uses a great deal of …show more content…
Poe’s story is filled with imagery; beginning with the description of “the eye of a vulture – a pale blue eye, with film over it,” and ending with the sound of “the beating of the old man’s heart,” he uses imagery to paint the readers a picture (1-2). By being specific and using sensory words, Poe is able to give the readers a visual of what is occurring. The most obvious use of imagery and perhaps the most effective is Poe listing the steps he took each night for a week in preparation for the murder. By doing this Poe makes the reader feel as if they are experiencing this event alongside the narrator. This feeling is heightened when Poe, in addition to imagery, uses short choppy sentences which help create a mood of suspense. By creating such a clear picture for the readers, Poe is able to really illustrate how insane the narrator’s actions are, and how insane the narrator is. Imagery is vital when it comes to describing the yellow wallpaper. Based on the narrator’s negative descriptions of the wallpaper, “the color is repellant, almost revolting,” it is easy for the readers to infer that she is not particularly fond of it (Gilman 649). In addition to the narrator repeatedly describing the pattern and how it makes her feel, Gilman uses vivid adjectives and precise descriptions of the wallpaper to give the readers a mental image.