Mental Illness In The Tell-Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe

It is said that stories reflect one’s self and are the outlet for expression. Because there is a variety of genres, writers show themselves through their works differently. Edgar Allan Poe shows extensive amount of violence, crime, and forms of mental illnesses throughout many of his stories and poems. Poe used this method to relieve himself through his writing. A way to express his emotions and desires that would have been frowned upon by society. Poe was known to be a drunk and a gambler. He promised, but undeniably failed, to stop drinking. Words so familiar to those are associated with an alcoholic. His alcoholism mixed with the pain of losing his wife could be the reason for many of the morbid stories he wrote. His entire life was

According to “Schizophrenia Symptoms, Signs, and Coping Tips” delusions are a symptom of schizophrenia, more specific, delusions of perception, delusions of reference, delusions of grandeur— “the belief that you are a famous or important figure, such as Jesus”—and the delusion of control. Delusions of perception is the “belief that others, often a vague ‘they,’ are out to get you.” The person becomes engulfed in this idea, creating unusual and ludicrous plots of the things that are trying to be done to them. (Smith, M.A., and Segal). The narrator within the story was convinced that the eye was evil. The all seeing eye. He tries to convince the police as well as us, the readers, that he is perfectly sain. But he contradicts himself by describing the eye as the thing that is out to get him. A perfect example of schizophrenia. Then again people with these types of illnesses do not realize it themselves that they have something wrong with them. Like the narrator says he is perfectly

Many of the patients that were forced to be admitted to the asylums generally did not make it back out. Many were often abandoned, abused, treated like animals, put on display, etc cetera, as stated in the article “A Beautiful Mind: The History of The Treatment of Mental Illness.” People who suffered from mental illnesses could not learn to adapt themselves to the standards of a closed-minded society, who tabooed and criticized them for the way they were. As if what they had was their fault. Instead of trying to help they just wanted to get rid of them. Poe may have used his knowledge of science and the mind to address awareness of the reality. When the narrator keeps stating that he is not mad, Poe was showing that these people with the illnesses were normal. It was the inexperienced mind of humans that could not grasp