The Tell-Tale Heart

Despite being a deeply troubled man, Edgar Allen Poe is still considered a trailblazer in the literary community for writing some of the best and earliest short stories. Most stories he wrote were horror stories, such as “The Tell Tale Heart.” “The Tell Tale Heart” is a story centered on a narrator who is a seemingly crazed man who kills a man for having an irregular eye. The narrator’s insanity that allows him to murder the man eventually leads him to confess to the police. Poe is renowned for his ability to effectively incorporate fear and dread in his stories. Fear and dread are created in Poe’s story through the use of well-crafted characters, calculated suspense, and effective writing style. One way Poe instills fear and dread in his
The more he attempts to persuade his sanity, the more the reader begins to doubt the genuineness of the repeated statements. It appears the narrator is clawing at any opportunity to convince the reader he is level headed. His determination worries the reader about his true mental status. A second character that develops fear and dread is the old man. The old man’s eye, which is described by the narrator as vulture like, is a noteworthy aspect of the story. The eye is supposedly the impetus the narrator has to kill the old man. The narrator even labels it the Evil Eye. The old man’s eye adds a tangible eeriness to the story. The unsuspecting nature of the old man’s death intensifies dread as well. The week before the old man’s murder, the narrator is especially kind to the man. The reader is aware of his inevitable demise at the early on in the story while the old man is oblivious to the narrator’s plot. Since one can predict his death, the eighth day has much anticipation. One cannot help but wonder how the man will die, which allows for fear and dread to muster. The old man’s anxiety on the eighth night is another aspect of the story that amplifies fear. When the narrator eventually opens the door to the old man’s bedroom and is glaring upon the man, the old man begins to feel anxiety: “Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal terror… His fears had been ever since growing upon him” (Poe 304). Being apprehensive is common for one to feel when one cannot see what is going on around them during the night. The apprehension is, generally, however just an irrational sensation. Most readers can relate to this sensation. In the old man’s circumstances, he is truly in a precarious situation. Knowing how the old man feels augments trepidation in the story. Edgar Allen Poe obviously did a fantastic job at creating characters that effectively add both fear and dread to the