The Theme Of Murder In Edgar Allen Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart

Committing murder sometimes seems like the most logical thing to do. Maybe something, such as a physical deficiency, can annoy a person so much that it drive them to the person insane to the point he or she commits murder. This is the case in Edgar Allen Poe's short story “ The Tell-Tale Heart.” The narrator, who is unknown, explains to the audience how something as simple as a physical deficiency drive him to commit murder. The narrator's emotional state throughout the story is quite interesting. In the story, the narrator tries his best to convince the audience that he is not “mad” or mentally incompetent when his actions clearly exemplifies his mental capacity. The narrator also battles with his own pride and throughout the story that led to him eventually admitting to the policemen to what he has done. In the short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, the narrator exemplifies many emotional states throughout the story. One of the emotional states the narrator shows is pride. Pride by definition is the high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in mind or displayed in conduct. The narrator displays his pride by not admitting he does not have a mental disability. In the beginning of the story, the narrator says, “I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? (Kennedy and Gioia 387)” Does that

The narrator in the short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, should really think about that. He goes through a series of emotional states. It starts off with him denying he is mentally incompetent because of his pride. The narrator eventually starts feeling guilty about what he has done and admits to his wrong doing. The emotional state of the narrator shows how a person can go through many emotions before he or she is actually satisfied with himself or