Paranoia In The Tell Tale Heart Research Paper
Marra Wagner
Sophomore English-Mr. Hornung
10/25/10
Edgar Allan Poe displays a disturbing paranoia in his short story "The Tell-Tale Heart." The narrator in the story, who is also the main character, begins to show signs of illness from the very beginning. His paranoia is shown when he can not look into the old man's "vulture eye" (384), which is the main cause of his paranoia. The narrator in this story shows signs of persecutory paranoia. Persecutory paranoia is "the most prevalant type of paranoia in which the patient believes that all those around them are enemies... they often turn [into] dangerous killers" (depression-guide.com). His paranoia is displayed when he is persecuted about the eye, he begins imagining things, and …show more content…
When the police were called in to investigate the noise, the narrator acted in calm and in a very convincing manner. The narrator, in his perverseness, led the three police men straight to where he had hidden the old man's body. "My manner had convinced them," (389) the narrator explains of the situation. This kind of thinking began to change with his manner when he began hearing the old man's beating heart once more. "The ringing became more distinct:-it continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definitiveness-until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears" (389). As the noise grew louder, the narrator became more irritable of the situation. He began speaking "more quickly and more vehemently" (389), wanting to rid himself of the three men and the sound of the beating heart. His paranoia is shown through this irritability, and when he becomes more worked up he explains, "I foamed-I raved-I swore!" (389). The narrator believes that the fact that the three men are "ignoring" the noise means that they are mocking him in his madness. This mockery gets the best of him and eventually causes him to confess: "'Villians!' I shrieked, 'dissemble no more! I admit the deed!-tear up the planks!-here, here!-it is the beating of his hideous heart!'"
Sophomore English-Mr. Hornung
10/25/10
Edgar Allan Poe displays a disturbing paranoia in his short story "The Tell-Tale Heart." The narrator in the story, who is also the main character, begins to show signs of illness from the very beginning. His paranoia is shown when he can not look into the old man's "vulture eye" (384), which is the main cause of his paranoia. The narrator in this story shows signs of persecutory paranoia. Persecutory paranoia is "the most prevalant type of paranoia in which the patient believes that all those around them are enemies... they often turn [into] dangerous killers" (depression-guide.com). His paranoia is displayed when he is persecuted about the eye, he begins imagining things, and …show more content…
When the police were called in to investigate the noise, the narrator acted in calm and in a very convincing manner. The narrator, in his perverseness, led the three police men straight to where he had hidden the old man's body. "My manner had convinced them," (389) the narrator explains of the situation. This kind of thinking began to change with his manner when he began hearing the old man's beating heart once more. "The ringing became more distinct:-it continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definitiveness-until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears" (389). As the noise grew louder, the narrator became more irritable of the situation. He began speaking "more quickly and more vehemently" (389), wanting to rid himself of the three men and the sound of the beating heart. His paranoia is shown through this irritability, and when he becomes more worked up he explains, "I foamed-I raved-I swore!" (389). The narrator believes that the fact that the three men are "ignoring" the noise means that they are mocking him in his madness. This mockery gets the best of him and eventually causes him to confess: "'Villians!' I shrieked, 'dissemble no more! I admit the deed!-tear up the planks!-here, here!-it is the beating of his hideous heart!'"