Considering Poe’s ideas…
 Versions of reality
 Cleverness/ cunning
 Mortality
 Time
Versions of reality:
 ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ disrupts our perceptions of
reality. As we discussed last lesson the deeper we
delve into the depths of another persons reality we
seek an understanding which may taint our
judgment of that character.
 As we consider the psychological aspects of our
narrator something about him and the way he tells
his story sparks our curiosity. We move with the
narrator as he relays his version of events, we follow
him through the maze of his mind and into his
version of reality.
Consider this…
 Does the narrator’s version of events seem unique
to you?
 Does the narrator seem inhuman to you? Is your
perception built upon his actions or his narration?
 Do light and dark impact on the character’s version
of reality?
 Could the story be a nightmare?
Examine…
 “It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my
brain; but conceived, it haunted me day and night.”
 But what does sit mean?
 The narrator’s obsession is such that his entire focus
is so small as to be a single eye. If the narrator as
thinking about a cure for cancer or similar we may
see his obsession as a good thing. Here his version
of reality can be considered dangerous to himself
and others, namely the old man.
Examine…
 “For it was not the old man that vexed me, but his
Evil Eye.”
 Using a proper noun for the eye gives it almost
godlike powers. It seems that the narrator believes
that the ‘vulture eye’ of the old man is inhabited by
an evil spirit or similar.
Examine…
 “And it was the mournful influence of the
unperceived shadow that caused him to feelalthough he neither saw nor heard- to feel the
presence of my head within the room.”
 Why is this quote interesting?
Well…
 This particular passage is interesting because the
narrator is speaking for the old man. Throughout
the events of the eighth night the narrator imagines
the old man’s feelings, using his own experiences as
a kind of template, something which allows the
Narrator to indulge in a pre-murder empathy with
him.
Cunning/ Cleverness…
 The main character promises us a tale of cunning
and cleverness- at the onset of the story we doubt
him (we may even feel cleverer than him) but by the
end we have been caught in his web of intrigue.
Consider…
 Do you think the narrator is intelligent?
 If he is clever- why didn’t he find an alternate
solution to murder? What does this say about his
reasoning ability?
 Last lesson we discussed the narrator’s criteria for
insanity- does this lack of reasoning prove or
disprove his sanity?
 If he is clever and cunning, is his confession helping
or hindering him?
 In some ways the story is told with a calm
detachment. There is control in the narrative (at
least initially, later the narrator seems to get caught
up in the excitement/horror of his own story).
 BUT… do we get the whole story?
NO!
 We don’t- we are given snippets of information.
Look at the time indicators within the story we, the
readers/audience, are only given the information the
narrator wants to share or sees as important.
 “Hearken! and observe how healthily- how calmly I
can tell you the whole story.”
Some comic relief…
 “And then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have
laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in!”
 Ok- so I know you have just read this and thought
other things… go ahead laugh, snigger, get it out of
your system.
 BUT this line is SO silly that it borders on the
ridiculous- perhaps a sign of the narrator’s illness.
More certainly it is a little comic relief by a talented
writer lightening the mood- well done Poe.
 “To think that there I was, opening the door, little by
little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds
or thoughts.”
 Does this seem cunning? Clever? How can he be so
sure that the Old Man doesn’t suspect anything- is
this because of the narrator’s cunning or lack of it?
Home is where the heart
is…
 Or is it? In this story Poe twists the perception of
home (a place we hang our hats as well as our larger
community) into a place of violence, death, disease,
anguish and isolation.
Consider…
 What image do you have of the interior of the
house? (Evidence) Is it scary? Why?
 Is a house home if you cannot trust the other people
within its walls?
 Why doesn’t the narrator leave instead of killing the
old man? Does the story give us any clues?
Examine…
 “And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch
of his door and opened it- oh so gently!”
 “And every morning, when the day broke, I went
boldly into the chamber.”
 “And now a new anxiety seized me- the sound
would be heard by a neighbour!”
 Home can be an uncomfortable place when we fear
some form of retribution- in this case he fears his
neighbours.
 It could be very uncomfortable living with someone
like the narrator nearby (thinking of the Old Man).
The Old Man leaves his door unlocked, it means he
either trusts the narrator or that he has no choice.
If the narrator is awake until midnight, for an hour or so
after and at day-break does he actually sleep at night?
Mortality…
 ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ is a really bad murder mystery,
the kind where you know who did it, but can’t
understand their motives. The story deals with the
fear of death, with dying and the question of how
one person can kill another.
Consider…
 Is the narrator scared of dying? Evidence?
 Is it significant that the narrator kills the old man
with his own bed?
 Would substituting this weapon for another
significantly change the story?
What do you think the narrator plans to do after the
story?
Examine…
 “I made up my mind to take the life of the old man,
and thus rid myself of the eye forever.”
 “All in vain; because Death, in approaching him had
stalked with his black shadow before him, and
enveloped the victim.”
 “Yes, he was stone, stone dead.”
 Perhaps the old man is already ailing, certainly it appears
that Death is nearby- a little ironic.
 Death seems to be personified. The narrator also comes
to be Death with his own nemesis- the Evil Eye. The
narrator is also the stalker.
 What makes the repetition of the word ‘stone’ important?
It emphasises the fact that there would be no reviving
him and that he was ready for burial. A reference to
Medusa?
Tick Tock…
 This story is jam packed with references to time and
clocks- perhaps we could even say that it is obsessed
with time. Try tracking time through the story….
Consider…
 Are time and heartbeats connected?
 The events of the story occur over eight days. Is this
significant? Why are we given this detail but not the
month or year?
 How might the narrator have spent the first seven
days? Do you think he sleeps?