Soon after, the police arrive because a neighbor heard a scream.
The narrator meticulously hides the body under the floorboards. As the narrator glares at the eye, he finally musters the strength to rid himself of the eye and smothers the old man with his mattress. One night, the narrator creeps in and startles the old man, who screams. He cannot do it when the man is asleep, because his eyes are shut, and he looks peaceful. Each night, the narrator goes into the old man’s room as he sleeps, intending to kill him. Tension builds as the narrator describes how his obsession has taken over, and he plots to kill the old man to get rid of the eye's gaze. As the story progresses, the reader learns that the narrator has become upset by the old man’s eye, which is a piercing blue color, with a white film over it. He lived in the same building as an old man with a “vulture eye”. The story begins with the unnamed narrator wanting to prove his sanity to the readers. Or, a useful refresher for teachers to help them decide if they would like to use this short story in the classroom.
What are some of the symbols in the story and what do they represent?Ī Quick Synopsis of “The Tell-Tale Heart”īeware! “The Tell-Tale Heart” summary below does contain spoilers! This summary is meant to be a helpful recap for students after they have read the story. Why do you think Poe chose this title? What does it evoke in the reader?. How does the narrator's perception of reality affect his thoughts and actions?. 
How do effective writers, like Poe, create mood in their short stories?. What are ways that an author can build suspense?. Poe's works available in Penguin Classics are The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe, The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings, The Masque of the Red Death, The Murders in the Rue Morgue and Other Tales, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Portable Edgar Allan Poe and The Science Fiction of Edgar Allan Poe.Essential Questions for “The Tell-Tale Heart” Here are stories lyrical and savage poems epic and intimate essays satirical and inspirational and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.Įdgar Allan Poe (1809-1849). They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Stories about murder, mystery and madness, portraying the author's feverish imagination at its creative height. the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul.' 'Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was a groan of mortal terror.
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