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Reading Worksheet

The worksheet analyzes Edgar Allan Poe's 'Tell-Tale Heart,' focusing on the narrator's disturbed mental state, guilt, and obsession with the old man's eye. It discusses how sound, particularly the heartbeat, symbolizes the narrator's psychological decline and builds tension throughout the story. The document also explores themes of sanity versus madness and the narrator's interactions with the police, revealing his disconnect from reality and eventual breakdown.

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Viper Veas
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7 views2 pages

Reading Worksheet

The worksheet analyzes Edgar Allan Poe's 'Tell-Tale Heart,' focusing on the narrator's disturbed mental state, guilt, and obsession with the old man's eye. It discusses how sound, particularly the heartbeat, symbolizes the narrator's psychological decline and builds tension throughout the story. The document also explores themes of sanity versus madness and the narrator's interactions with the police, revealing his disconnect from reality and eventual breakdown.

Uploaded by

Viper Veas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Reading worksheet “Tell Tail Heart” Edgard Allan Poe

1. How does the first-person perspective influence your understanding of the


narrator's mental state?

The perspective allows the reader to enter the mind of the narrator, revealing
confusing thoughts that become increasingly disturbing. The narrator justifies their
actions and denies having any delirious condition, thus showing a disturbed mental
state and creating a distorted reality.

2. In what ways does the theme of guilt manifest in the narrator's behavior and
thoughts throughout the story?

Guilt is manifested in the narrator’s obsessive focus on the old man's heartbeat. Even
though he has killed the old man, he cannot forget the sound of the heart, feeling
guilty, which consumes him more each day. In the end, the narrator can no longer bear
the guilt and screams the truth.

3. What does the old man's eye represent, and how does it contribute to the narrator's
obsession?

The old man's eye represents the narrator’s fear, referring to it as an "evil eye" that
continuously watches him, provoking fear. The eye is the reason the narrator kills the
old man because it torments him. The narrator expresses his fears and concerns
through the "evil eye."

4. How does Poe use sound, particularly the heartbeat, to build tension and convey
the narrator's psychological state?

Poe uses the sound of the heartbeat to symbolize the narrator's deterioration. The
heartbeat is fragile and growing louder, revealing his anxiety and guilt, ultimately
exposing the crime.

5. What are some examples of irony in the story, particularly regarding the narrator's
perception of his own sanity?

An example of this is the narrator’s insistence that he is psychologically sound, even


though his behavior contradicts this. He acts calm, but his disturbed conscience
leads him to confess the crime.
6. What drives the narrator to commit murder? Is it purely irrational, or are there
deeper reasons?

He is driven by an obsession with the old man’s eye. Beyond the irrational fear of the
eye, there is a need to control his environment and eliminate what makes him
vulnerable: the eye. This reveals the psychological struggle between power and
paranoia that consumes him.

7. How does the story explore the thin line between sanity and madness?

The story shows the fine line between sanity and madness, where the narrator insists,
he is sane but is unable to make clear decisions.

8. What does the interaction between the narrator and the police reveal about his
mental state and the nature of his guilt?

The interaction with the police reveals that the narrator is disconnected from reality,
believing that by remaining calm and confident, he will not be discovered. However,
his growing anxiety ultimately exposes the murder.

9. Are there elements in the story that foreshadow the narrator’s eventual breakdown?
If so, what are they?

Just like the increasing obsession with the old man’s eye, he cannot bear the old
man’s heartbeat, and his insistence that he is sane while his behavior shows
otherwise highlights this.

10. How does Poe's use of language and rhythm enhance the overall mood of the
story?

Poe uses intense and detailed language. By repeating distressing phrases, he conveys
the mental deterioration that contributes to a sense of desperation.

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