Saturday, November 28, 2009

THE TELL-TALE HEART BY EDGAR ALLAN POE

A few days earlier I read a story written by Edgar Allan Poe and I answered in some questions...I don't really like him but I am trying to improve my English.You can also find this story at http://www.literature.org/authors/poe-edgar-allan/tell-tale-heart.html.

1. What does the opening paragraph imply about the narrator's reliability?

The narrator is unreliable because he admits that he can hear everything from heaven, earth and heel...

2. For seven days the narrator plans the old man's murder. What does the narrator do every night that he believes is proof of his sanity?

Every night at midnight he turned the latch of the old man's door and opened it gently.And then he thrust in his head very slowly so that he might not disturb the old man's sleep. And then when his head was well in the room he undid the lantern so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. However he believes he is sane because he meticoulously planned the murder.

3. The narrators account contains numerous situations of word repetition. Why does Poe use this technique?

He uses this technique in order to be more precise, to make his story more detailed, to arouse the readers' interest and to create suspense.

4. The narrator is vexed at the old man's "Evil Eye". In superstitious belief, one who possesses an "Evil Eye" has the power to harm another person with a mere look. In view of this belief, how might the reader's perspective of the narrator's insanity change, if at all?

No he can't prove that the old man can cause harm to the narrator, so I believe that he has no reason to kill him.

5. How does the narrator kill the old man?

He threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He dragged him to the floor and pulled the havy bed over him. After a few minutes the old man went dead.(He was suffocated).

6. How does the narrator dispose of the body?

He cut the body into pieces and placed them under the floor boards.

7. Why is it ironic that the narrator feels compelled to confess his crime?

Because everything he does is irrational. He murdered the old man without reason and although he could keep his secret, he reveals it to the officers again without reason.

8. What is the meaning of the title?

The "Tell-Tale Heart" is the heart which thumps, thus making the narrator tell his story of the heinous deed.

9. Explain how the story portrays love and hate as inseparable emotions.

In this story, love and hate seem to be the two sides of the same coin, as they are both extreme emotions. Although, the narrator loved the old-man and took care of him, he feels hatred for his evil eye and eventually kills him.