English

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Renae Owens

Mrs. Hunt

ENG 1123

26 September 2021

The Tell-Tale Heart

Many great novels speak of travels, quests, love, or perseverance. But this is one about a

‘tale’ of betrayal by one’s own mind. First published in 1843, this literature speaks of the

consciousness of one man turning against him. The reader’s interpretation of the story might be

influenced by the tone of this literature. The attitude seemed paranoid or manic, yet assertive.

The narrator was, presumed, a caretaker of some sort. Whether he was family, or an employee,

was not identifiable. Beginning with him speaking as if he was not ‘mad’, and could tell the story

‘slow’ and ‘healthily’, the speaker devised this story with the intent of seemingly proving his

sanity(pg.3). Although, he shows his inability to even remain calm while testifying shortly after.

Edgar Allen Poe uses development of characters, allegory, and tone to illustrate how he desires

the story to unfold to the reader.

The narrator, whose name goes unidentified, then goes on to tell of the elderly man by

of which he looked after. Saying that he was ‘kind’, and ‘had never wronged him’(pg.3). Yet, one

of the eyes of the senior was not so friendly. The story tells that the man’s eye seemed evil and

cold when fixated upon the narrator. This development of character fortifies the standpoint that

the speaker is meaning to portray. Once the thought of acting on a maniacal plan against the man

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and his eye popped in his head, he decided then that he would act upon those thoughts to rid

himself of the eye for good. As his plan unfolds on that fateful night, the speaker tells of its

eeriness upon his entry into the man’s room. From what we know of the character’s mental

instability, one can conclude that this moment was sheer frightening for him.

On that night, he vividly tells of the difference of his midnight watch upon the old man.

This is because on this particular night, he startled the man awake. After posing for over an hour

awaiting the man’s slumber to return, it finally does. Only when he opened the lantern, the ‘Evil

Eye’ was awake, with the only beam of light he allowed to cast out from his lantern, fixed upon

it. Combined with the heartbeat of the aged man, his intense, ‘uncontrollable terror’ toward the

eye took control of him(pg.6). Once covered by the bed thrown upon him, soon after, the man

was dead and the deed was done. It was said that the sound of the old man’s heart was heard, by

his extraordinary hearing, muffled such as ‘a watch enveloped in cotton’(pg.6). This may have

very well been an example of allegory, in the end symbolizing perhaps guilt.

After killing the man, dismembering his corpse, and concealing him within the

floorboards of his antiquated home, the police arrive. A tip from a neighbor had sent them,

leaving no reason to fear for the murderer apparently. The narrator then gladly shows them

around the house, proving alibis and access to whatever they requested. He then, in his

‘excitement’, places chairs in the man’s bedroom for the officers’ and himself to rest. It was then

that his mental instability in the moment became volatile. Now, as he sat directly above the dead

body, a slow, slight buzz slowly began to turn so loud and thunderous that he was certain the

sound was not of his own hearing and would certainly alert the police. The narrator then begins

to bellow, drowning out the low toned sound. Against his efforts, the sound continues to grow. In

his rage, he slings his chair across the floor where the body lays. In mockery, he felt, the officers

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continued to smile and speak ‘pleasantly’(8). This further development of the officers’ character

alludes to the purpose of his final meltdown. He paces the floor, speaking louder and with a

higher voice. As his panic cracks, he shrieks and confronts their efforts against him, finally

confessing his crime to the police.

In conclusion, this 1800s literature from Poe leaves the mind to wonder of his own

thoughts, along with the thoughts of this story’s narrator. Attributed by character development of

the narrator, the Eye, and the officers, the story takes several twists and turns. Features such as

this guarantee the reader’s attention. Allegories such as the muffled heartbeat of the dying man

allow better visualization for the readers. Also, it’s tone ties the eeriness of it all together. This

story of an incomparable psychotic affliction is truly one for the ages. Combining a plethora of

literary parts within its short stature has created an elemental literary piece that embodies

fiction’s finest attributes.

Work cited

Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Elegant Ebooks, pp. 3–8.