Have you ever wondered what is in the mind of a murderer ? In the story “Tell Tale Heart,” a nameless man explains his reasoning behind why he killed an old man. Throughout the tale, he also subtly attempts to prove his sanity by showing how well thought out the murder was. “Tell Tale Heart” is a suspenseful story, the point-of view of the narrator, and setting of the tale, are great attributions to that account. The first element of the story that helps the reader feel suspense, is the author’s written point-of-view. The author wrote “I heard all things in heaven and in the earth … How am I mad? … Observe how healthily - how calmly I can tell you the whole story. “(pg. 89) This shows that the narrator is not completely sane. When someone’s sanity is questionable, their capabilities are limitless; this creates a good, suspenseful character in a frightening tale. Since the narrator’s mind is not completely in the right place, his actions are nearly impossible to predict. This leads to quite a compelling piece of literature. …show more content…
“His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness” (pg 90) is a great example of how dark the room where the story took place is. The night is an unpredictable time because in the dark you are unsure of what could happen next. Nighttime is widely known as a haunting time of the day. “Tell Tale Heart uses that eerie nighttime vibe to show how unpredictable people’s actions are at that time. There are a few reasons why the story “Tell Tale Heart” is so suspenseful. The narrator of the tale helps readers to feel as though anything could happen at any moment. The setting also provides an unpredictable atmosphere for this type of story to take place. Almost every aspect of this piece of literature is thrilling and implements a sense of tension. “Tell Tale Heart” will forever be remembered as one of the most suspenseful, frightening stories in our