answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

It is written in the first person, and was first published in 1843. The plotline revolves around a nameless young man who lives with an old man, whose relationship to him is obscure- he could be his landlord, an elderly relative, or a fellow tenant, but the nature of their connection remains unclarified. The old man (whose job is unknown, but is presumed to be retired) has a dull blue, vulture-like eye which disturbs the narrator and which he believes to be evil- he has no animosity towards the man as a whole, in fact he likes him and gets on with him very well, but the nature of the eye terrifies him and makes him convinced that it is capable of putting curses upon people or causing bad things to happen to them. He finally decides that the only way to get rid of the threat is to kill the old man while he's asleep, which he attempts to do over a period of several nights but is thwarted every time and has to withdraw. However, on the eighth night he succeeds in smothering him to death with the man's own bedclothes- the man's dying screams awaken the neighbours, who call the police, but not before the narrator has dismembered his victim and hidden his body beneath the floorboards. When the police arrive, the narrator assumes a very plausible and affable manner, denying that any event has taken place in the house and saying that the old man is away on a trip to the country. The police officers are initially convinced- however, as they converse with the young man, he begins to hear a buzzing in his ears which eventually takes the form of a heart-beat. He initially dismisses it as his own heart reacting to the tension of the crime he has committed, but in the end it grows louder and louder until it becomes all-consuming, filling his head with the sound. By now in a deeply distressed state, he breaks down and confesses to the policemen that he has murdered the old man.

The narrator is relaying the story in an attempt to convince the reader of his sanity, but it is an ambiguous story, as we never know whether the heart-beat he is haunted by (nor, for that matter, his terrified obsession with the old man's eye) is down to him being insane, or whether they really are caused by sinister supernatural events.

User Avatar

Wiki User

6y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: What is the point of view of The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

Did Edgar Allan Poe get kicked out of west point?

Edgar Allen Poe didn't have enough money to attend West Point Academy -Adrianna Paigee:)


What writer was expelled from West Point for showing up for a public parade wearing only a white belt and gloves?

Edgar allan poe


Did Edgar Allan Poe die in Fells Point Maryland of a heart attack?

He died in Baltimore, Maryland of unknown cause(s).


What point is Edgar Allan Poe trying to get across in 'The Cask of Amontillado'?

Edgar Allen poe is an amazing author. I think he did not imply a moral to the story. I think this because, he said he was wronged, but he never said what Montressor did to him. So he tries to not let you be on either one of their sides.


What is the point of filling out and submitting an EDGAR form?

The point of filling out and submitting an EDGAR form is that it is required by law to do so. Many forms that you have to fill with the SEC are available via EDGAR.


Why does the narrator confess to his crime in The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe?

he confesses because he starts to hear the old man's heart beating. it gets to the point that he cant take it any more, so he tells.


What is ray Allen 3 point percentage?

ray allen's 3 point percentage is 85.7


What does Allen Iverson play?

Allen Iverson played shooting guard/ point guard when Eric snow left Allen played point guard


Was Edgar Bartolomeu point guard in soccer?

There are no point guards in football. The term for a similar position is "playmaker", normally number 10, attacking midfielder. Edgar Bartolomeu was a defender.


What position did Allen Iverson play for the76ers?

Allen Iverson played shooting guard/ point guard when Eric snow left Allen played point guard


When was Edgar Allan Poe court-martialed from West Point?

Edgar Alan Poe was court-martialed January 28 1831.


What types of job did Edgar poe have?

He was.an ofgicer cadet at west point