Gangadaye Seema Ragbir
English 102
Professor Racquel Corona
The Tell Tale Heart by Edger Allan Poe
Question1. The narrator insists from the very beginning of the story that he is not insane. What characteristics does he say prove his sanity? What characteristics suggest his madness instead?
The narrator in this story is the killer of the old man however at the beginning of the story the narrator wonders why people say he is mad. His execution of the murder was flawless. It was done by a person with a sane mind. He proves his sanity by using all the precautions and rationalization in planning to kill the old man. He was careful and cautious in paying visits to the old man's room every midnight. He was sure not to give hints to the old man while talking to him. The narrator even mentioned he loved the old man and also said "It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain." This statement shows he has a conscience. He was wondering why he wants to kill the old man. The narrator also mention "Passion there was none." meaning that he was not even angry with this old man. Then finally he realized what was bothering him and why he wanted to kill the old man. The narrator said he thinks it was his eye. The old man’s eye was weird and looked like a vulture’s eye. The way the old man looked at the narrator with this eye made him want to kill the old man. He needed to get rid of that eye. After the meticulous murder, the narrator hid the body carefully. Then narrator’s madness came out. He started to hear the beating heart of a dead body. The beating of the heart grew louder and louder to him. He thought that the police men might hear it, but they did not. The narrator started going crazy with the sound getting louder and louder in his mind, and finally admitted to committing the crime. He was clearly crazy for killing the old man because he hated his big blue vulture looking eye. Yet he seemed very sane with how he wisely premeditated the old man’s murder.
Well written and straight to the point! Do you think he was really insane ? Or was this just a sane man who was fed up of being taunted by someone who had done no wrong to him ? Just his body part.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator might be suggesting that because the old man witness him doing something out law his eyes haunted him. On the other hand "eyes resembles that of a vulture" might signified that the old man was a ruthless, greedy and mean old man who preyed on other, and that angered the narrator to kill him. Nevertheless, that was no justified reason to kill someone. He was really crazy!!
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