Tell Tale Heart

Perspective

"Narrator"(unnamed) 1st person cunning; intelligent insane / mentally unstable unreliable!

: "...groan of mortal terror...it was the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe."

Describing a character's anxiety or fear

different techniques for suspense

Describing a character's anxiety or fear Using vivid words to describe dramatic sights, sounds, or feelings Repeating words, phrases, or characters' actions

In this passage, how does the narrator try to convince the reader that he is sane and reliable?

He tries to convince us, the reader, that he is sane, by showing us the 'clever' ways that he concealed the body and how he killed the man in such a way that he had less evidence of the crime.

1st person pronouns

I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours

third person limited

Narrator sees the world through only one characters eyes and thoughts.

What does the narrator think the sound is? (the beating sound)

The narrator thinks that the sound is the sound of the dead old man's heartbeat.

"He had the eye of a vulture -- a pale blue eye with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold."

Using vivid words to describe dramatic sights, sounds, or feelings

Why is the description some lines in italic type?

Usually because of repetition, a flashback, or emphasis.

3rd person pronouns

absence of first or second pronouns Key words: He, she, they, their

How do you decide if a narrator is reliable?

consider his or her actions, attitudes, and statements, and then decide if he or she is generally trustworthy.

What is likely the source of the beating sound?

his own heartbeat or a hallucination.

mood

the feelings/emotions that are invoked within the reader.

2nd person pronouns

you, your, yours

Why does an unreliable narrator create suspense?

Information is limited so it makes the reader UNEASY and UNCERTAIN Reader doesnt know exactly whats going on, making the reader feel anxious.

central idea

Narrator describes himself as an intelligent, not insane man. "The eye" vexes the narrator. Narrator plans to get rid of the eye by murdering the old man. Narrator murders the old man Police come to check out neighbor concerns and chat with narrator. Narrator hallucinates the beating of the old man's heart. Narrator confesses to murder in a fit on insanity.

Tone

Narrator's tone SHIFTS throughout the story: calm/composed —> anxious —> relief —> confident —> total madness

What do readers learn from this first-person narration about the narrator's subjective, or personal, experience? (A low, dull, quick sound, much as a watch makes when envelope in cotton.)

The first-person narrator claims to hear the old man's heart beating, a sound that drives him to finally kill the old man. The narrator describes his own anger at the sound, giving readers an awareness of his thinking and emotions that they would not otherwise have.

Suspense

sense of growing tension, fear, and excitement felt by readers. Authors often create suspense in a story by describing a character's anxiety or by using vivid language to tell about dramatic events.

third person omniscient

the narrator knows all of the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters in a work

narrative perspective

the point of view from whom the story is told; the lens through which the reader experiences the action of the story.

Repetition

the use of the same word or words more than once, can be used to emphasize a particular idea and to help create suspense. Poe uses repetition often throughout this story and in many of his other works.

voice

the way the text speaks to you; the way the narrator/author "sounds."

"I went down to open it with a light heart-for what had I now to fear?"

to let the reader better hear a narrator's thoughts

"I did so for seven long nights-every night just after midnight-but found the eye always closed."

to signal a sudden break in thought; inserted phrase

the different types of dashes in the story:

to signal a sudden break in thought; inserted phrase to signal to the reader to pause and pay attention to let the reader better hear a narrator's thoughts

"I resolved to open a little-a very, very little crevice in the lantern."

to signal to the reader to pause and pay attention

What point of view is this story?

1st and 2nd, because the narrator tells the story from his point of view and also he talks to the reader.

examples of the way Poe creates suspense

Poe creates suspense in the lines 104-117 by showing the anger of the man character at the old man's supposed heartbeat. It makes him angrier and suspense is created in the readers mind because it is in the preceding moments of big action that will happen; or the climax.

"The actions the narrator repeated as he entered the old man's room each night."

Repeating words, phrases, or characters' actions

What is it about this narrator that makes him seem unreliable?

The fact about the narrator that makes him seem unreliable is that he is obviously mad, because he is a murderer, and he thinks that he is normal. Also, his guilt causes hallucinations.

In what way does the author's repeated image of "the eye of a vulture" help to create suspense?

The narrator describes the "eye of the vulture" in detail ("a pale, blue eye, with a film over it"; "dull blue with a hideous veil") and as something that makes the narrator's "blood run cold." Every time the eye is mentioned, readers feel the narrator's dread growing. The sense that something very bad is going to happen creates suspense.

How does the use of a first-person narrator contribute to the development of suspense?

The narrator give us his record of events while also giving his opinion and his own thoughts. This means we see the story through a madman's eyes, which creates the suspense and spookiness of the story, as well as the unsettling manner in which the story is told.

third person objective

The narrator is an outsider who can report only what he or she sees and hears. This narrator can tell us what is happening, but he can't tell us the thoughts of the characters. (not a character)

the narrator makes his case to the police and thinks he has convinced them of his innocence. What happens next that leads the narrator to finally confess? What does this suggest about his mental state?

The narrator thinks he has convinced police of his innocence until he "fancied a ringing in his ears." The narrator's obsession with the sound grows until he confesses that, "it is the beating of his hideous heart!"

What prevents the narrator from killing the old man during the first seven nights?

The narrator waits to kill the old man because he believes he needs to wait for the "vulture eye" to be open. This creates suspense because readers can sense the narrator's mounting anxiety and can feel tension about what will happen if the old man's eye is ever open. the only thing he has against the old man is his eye; he loved the old man.

why do these phrases create suspense? (old mans beating heart sound)

They create suspense, because the reader is anticipating the climax, or some big action to happen, because of the main characters escalating emotion.

What effect do the narrator's explanations have on the reader?

They make the reader more and more convinced that he is mad, because his explanations for why he is not mad is more and more ridiculous.

Does the narrator's opinion of himself in lines 1-16 make him more or less reliable? Explain your choice.

The narrator's statements are immediately suspicious because he begins by mentioning "the disease" and its effects on his senses. This suggests a psychological or physical illness has affected his brain. His further comments in lines 19-20 about "how wisely I proceeded" and "with what foresight" suggests a distorted view of his intelligence.

What impact does the repetition of the word "stealthy" have?

The repetition of the word 'stealthily' shows the readers that the narrator, (Main character) was being very cautious as he snuck towards the old man. It also shows that he was trying to show that he was not a madman.

Do you think the reader's inability to trust the narrator increases the suspense in the story?

Yes. The narrator is obviously mentally ill and the reader cannot trust his view of reality, so the reader is left wondering what really happened and what this unbalanced person is going to do next, which adds to the tension.

style

an author's use of literary devices in a particular way to make his/her work recognizable.

what details in the text that suggest that the narrator of this story is not reliable?

details in the text that show that the narrator of this story is not reliable is the fact that he is mad, and he thinks that he is not mad. He is trying to convince us, the readers, that he is not mad, which means that others say he is mad. Additionally, he hallucinates as well. He hears things such as heartbeats that other, sane characters are not able to hear. Also, he think that he is so smart, the way that he murdered an old man, which furthermore proves the point that he is mad.

why could a narrator be considered unreliable?

he or she must purposefully lying, mentally unstable, or too young or unsophisticated to fully understand events.

In addition to repetition, authors sometimes use... (blank) to emphasize a thought or an idea.

italics

unreliable narrator

narrator whose assessment of events cannot be trusted for some reason.

Style of this text

ornate style formal; old language, yet conversational due to the use of 2nd person pronouns (speaking DIRECTLY to the reader) wide variety of imagery use of dashes to signal a break in thought, signal the reader to pause, or to clarify inner thoughts use of repetition very little dialogue - mostly inner thoughts & feelings use of italics for emphasis