1.) What is the meaning of The Tell Tale Heart?
==The Tell Tale Heart is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1843. It is relayed by an unnamed narrator who endeavors to convince the reader of his sanity while simultaneously describing a murder he committed.
2.) What is the symbolism of the story?
==The Eye – There are many symbolic interpretations of the old man’s eye: (1) The eye represents the “I”; that is, it represents the essence of the old man; (2) The eye holds mysterious powers, according to the narrator, and may symbolize the inability of the narrator to hide his secret sins; (3) The old man’s eye is “pale blue, with a film over it,” indicating a lack of visual clarity and reliability. In this sense the eye symbolizes the narrator in so much as all the information we receive comes through his distorted mind, much in the same way everything the old man sees is filtered through his distorted eye
==The Old Man’s Bedroom – The narrator’s intrusion into the old man’s bedroom violates honorable conduct (especially when you take into account the whole murder thing). Speaking of violating someone, take a look at how the narrator describes his entrance into the room: “When I had made an opening sufficient for my head…I thrust in my head. Oh you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly–very, very slowly” (173). The narrator recounts on the eighth night,
3.) What is the mode and tone of the story?
==The narrator’s tone is arrogant and excited. He is excitable because he is mentally unstable. Yet he is arrogant enough to believe he is right. The narrator in “The Tell-tale Heart” is an unreliable narrator. We realize from his tone that he is mad. The narrator is obsessive and paranoid. He describes the killing of his roommate and the consequences in a matter-of-fact way, but in a very excited way.
4.) What is the conflict, climax, and resolution of the Tell-Tale Heart?
==The exposition of the “Tell-Tale Heart” is when we are introduced to the narrator and he insists that he is not insane. The rising action takes place as the narrator tries to muster the courage to kill the old man. The climax of the story is when the narrator kills the old man. The falling action of the story occurs when the narrator “hears” the beating of the old man’s heart beneath the floor boards.
The rising action of the story occurs when there is some kind of obstacle standing in the way of the outcome of the story. Here the rising action occurs when the narrator goes into the old man’s room for seven nights. He wants to kill the man, because he thinks his blue hazy eye can see the inside of the narrator. Each night when he goes to kill the man, the man’s eye is open, making the narrator think the old man is watching him.
The climax of a story is usually the most intense part of the story. Here the climax occurs when the narrator kills the old man. He thinks that once he has killed him the old man will not be able to see him anymore.
The falling action of a story comes right after the climax. The falling action ties everything up and ends the story. Here the falling action occurs when the narrator “hears” the old man’s heart beating, although he has just killed him. The police are talking to the narrator, and he hears the beating of the dead man’s heart getting louder and louder. The narrator finally admits to what he has done and tells the police to tear up the floorboards to find the “beating heart”
5.)What is the moral lesson the story?
==The moral of “The Tell-Tale Heart” is that we should not commit crimes because, in the end, our own sense of guilt will expose us.
6.) Who is Edgar Allan Poe?
==Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 to October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, critic and editor best known for evocative short stories and poems that captured the imagination and interest of readers around the world. His imaginative storytelling and tales of mystery and horror gave birth to the modern detective story. Many of Poe’s works, including “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Fall of the House of Usher,” became literary classics. Some aspects of Poe’s life, like his literature, is shrouded in mystery, and the lines between fact and fiction have been blurred substantially since his death.
Lipa City 