The Tell-Tale Heart of a Murderer
In a short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” written by Edgar Allan Poe, you look into the mind of a man who is mentally unstable and telling the tale of his murder of an old man. The narrators mental instability makes it possible to murder the old man, but his conscience and guilt is also the reason he gives himself away at the end of the story. The man believes there is an evil in the old man, but still loves him. The old man had never done him wrong, but the man saw evil in his eye, and that led to the conclusion that he would kill the old man. An example of where he shows his admiration of the old man is “I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye” (Poe. 1) This shows how he chose to disassociate the true personality of the man and singled out a physical appearance. This eye was the sole reason he made his decision, because he liked the old man as a person. If he found something he did not like about the old man, this would make it easier to justify killing him. The short story also shows more signs of his conscience making his way into his mind. After he kills the old man and the police are there he hears the ringing of what he thinks is the old man’s heart but is actually his own. “ It grew louder — louder — louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly , and smiled. Was it possible they heard to? Almighty God! — no,no? They heard— They suspected!— they KNEW!” (Poe. 3) The man connects the police officers calm exterior with the ringing getting ever so louder in his mind. As time passes his conscience grows, allowing him time to take in what he’s done. He can’t take it any more and gives in to his guilt and insanity at the end of the story to make it end once and for all. He shouts “dissemble no more! I admit the deed! — tear up the planks! — here, here! — it is the beating of his hideous heart.” (Poe.3) In the end the man knows people will...