How Does Edgar Allan Poe Use Fear In The Tell Tale Heart

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The Fear and Dread of The Tell-Tale Heart Edgar Allan Poe illustrates a presence of fear and dread in his short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” through his descriptive haunting dialogue of the narrator saying he is sane, and the details of the creepy narrator observing a sleeping man. The significance of the repetitive statements of the narrator saying he is not crazy develops an unsafe sense of fear for the readers. Fear seeks the reader continuously, because the narrator, who accuses them of believing that he is out of his mind, contacts them. Textual evidence supports the scary mood of the story through the narrator arguing “You fancy mad at me… you should have seen how wisely I proceed with what caution—with what foresight—with what dissimulation …show more content…

Edgar Allan Poe doesn’t stop the freighting pace, continuing with horrific imagery he creates of the narrator watching the man and his disturbing eye while he sleeps. The reader is hit with the disturbance of the writing every time the narrator takes a step in the room. The quotes provided, create a clear picture of how intently the man is being watched and studied. The sense of absurd craziness reveals with “Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door…never before that night had I felt the extent of my own feelings of triumph” (Poe 304). The insane crazed man who seeks to kill the innocent man is unique, because his shockingly number of nights he is present in the bedroom of the man. The eerie tension is strong through his single reason to avenge this man is because of his eye, which annoys him entirely. The quote is ironic, because the narrator again describes his cautiousness, when in reality it doesn’t matter because the reader already knows his near future intentions. All in all “The Tell-Tale Heart” written by Edgar Allan Poe portrays a powerful presence of Fear and dread. First fear is shown through the Narrator claiming he is “Not Mad” when his intentions are abnormal, and next with the man being watched

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