The Tell-Tale Heart - Summary | The Heritage of Words

English | Summary
Unit Seven : Crime and Confession
The Tell-Tale Heart
Edger Allan Poe
The Heritage of Words

The narrator claims that he is not mad as he could hear things in the heaven, earth and hell. To justify himself saint, he confesses dangerous crime he has committed. The narrator and the old man used to reside together; they had very good relationship. The man used to love the old man very much. The old man also used to treat him well. The only thing that irritated the narrator was the eyes of him which were pale and vulture like. To end the consequences, he went to the old man's room continuously for seven days. But returned, as he could not see the eyes of the man.

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Important Questions:

1. Justify the title, ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’.

Ans. The narrator is the victim of nervous disease and over sensitive to hearing. He wants to kill the old man to get rid of the vulture like eyes of the old man. After entering into the room of the old man with and aim to kill him, the narrator starts hearing a strange, dull sound as if being made by a watch which he believes to be the heartbeat of the old man. After killing the old man, he cuts the body into pieces and hides them under the wooden floor. In the morning, when three police officers arrived there, he starts talking with them sitting in the old man’s room as the police officers don’t find anything unusual. However, while being there, the narrator starts hearing strange sound which he believes to be the heartbeat of the old man. As he couldn’t stand the sound of the said heart beat, he confesses his crime and reveals the entire story before the police. Since, the supposed heart discloses the secret of the murder, the title The Tale-Tale Heart is therefore justifiable and appropriate to the text.

2. Was the narrator mad? 

Ans. Though sanity and insanity is a matter of debate, there are various indications in the story that suggest his madness. The narrator killed an old and innocent man with out any concrete reason. He did not hesitate to cut the body of the old man into pieces. Though the man loved him, he did not understand the value of love. Rather he mercilessly killed him. Even after killing and dismembering the body of the old man, he suspected that the old man’s heart was beating. He had no idea that after a man is killed his heart stops beating. The narrator has revealed himself that he is suffering from a disease which causes ‘over-acuteness of the senses’. Over-acuteness of senses is also one sign of madness. He was overcome by homicidal mania. Madmen never repent their wrong doing. In this story also instead of repenting for his wrongful act, the narrator has tried to prove his sanity. Thus his abnormal behavior suggests that he was truly mad.

Questions for Practice :

1. Why does narrator develop intense hatred against the old man? Would you call the narrator mad? Give reasons for your answer.
2. What made the narrator confess his crime?
3. Describe the scene when the narrator killed the old man.
4. What made the narrator confess his crime?

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