Research Paper On The Tell Tale Heart

Jake Rzeszutek
Mrs. Giovenco
English II
10 May 2023
The Haunting Mysteries of Edgar Allen Poe
The “Tell-Tale Heart”, by Edgar Allan Poe is a hauntingly chilling tale that explores the depths of the human psyche. The Tell-Tale Heart was written during the Romantic Period and was famous for its unique style and technique. The story is told through the eyes of an unnamed narrator, who is obsessed with the old man's “vulture eye.” The narrator's obsession drives him to commit a heinous crime and the guilt and paranoia that follow lead to his downfall. “The Tell-Tale Heart” contains many themes such as madness and guilt, but also has the symbols of the old man’s eye and a beating heart. The use of themes, symbols, and literary techniques is what

The narrator is clearly unstable, as evidenced by his obsession with the old man's eye. He cannot control his emotions, leading him to commit the murder. In her article “The Eye Sees Everything: The Symbolism of the Eye in 'The Tell-Tale Heart,” Simone Bryant argues that the narrator's madness is directly linked to his fear of the eye. She writes, “The eye represents the unseen, the unknown, and the mysterious (Bryant 33).” The narrator's fear of the eye is therefore a fear of the unknown, and his obsession with it is a manifestation of his own madness”. This fear of the unknown is what ultimately drives the narrator to commit the murder. Lastly, the main theme of madness in the story shows that the narrator is unstable, cannot control his emotions, and is constantly obsessed with odd

The eye represents the unknown and the mysterious, and the narrator's obsession with it is a manifestation of his own madness. In her article “The Eye Sees Everything: The Symbolism of the Eye in 'The Tell-Tale Heart,’“Simone Bryant argues that the eye symbolizes the narrator's guilt. She writes, “The eye is a reminder of the narrator's guilt, as he believes that it can see into his soul and reveal his darkest secrets (Bryant 37).” The eye is a constant reminder of the narrator's crime, and it ultimately drives him to confess. Another symbol in The Tell-Tale Heart is the beating heart. The heart represents the guilt and paranoia that consume the narrator after the murder. In his article “The Tell-Tale Heart: An Exercise in Terror,” Donald Fanger argues that the heart symbolizes the narrator's fear. He writes, “The beating heart is a physical manifestation of the narrator's fear, as it represents the unknown and the uncontrollable (Fanger 43).” The heart is a constant reminder of the narrator's crime, and it ultimately leads to his downfall. The old man’s eye and the beating heart both symbolize the guilt and paranoia that consume the narrator after the