Tell Tale Heart Thesis

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Joslyn P. Gipson Professor Name Hay Richard Class: English 12/21/2023 The-Tell-Tale-Heart Thesis Statement: The narrator’s unknown disease drives him further into madness. In the first paragraph, the narrator talks about how his disease has enhanced his senses, and claims he hears things no one else can. “ The disease had sharpened my senses – not dulled them. Above all was the sense of acute hearing. I heard all things in the heavens and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad?” (Giordano, R). And throughout the story, it shows that, and how his disease caused him to do horrible things. PARAGRAPH 1 At the beginning of the story, the narrator constantly tries to convince the reader, and possibly himself, that he isn’t …show more content…

He continued this for 7 nights, until the 8th night came. On the 8th night, he was more than usually cautious when entering the old man’s house. For some reason he felt more confident that night, he felt like he could do anything and was filled with pride and chuckled, but while doing so, he woke the old man. The old man is now wide awake. The narrator continued to watch him and wait. He describes the extreme fear the old man has, because even though he couldn’t see or hear, he could feel the presence of another inside his home. He said: “I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise, when he had turned in his bed. His fears have been ever since growing upon him. He had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not. He had been saying to himself, “It’s nothing but the wind in the chimney, it’s only a mouse crossing the floor,” or it is merely a cricket which has made a single chirp.”(Giordano, R) Yes he had been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions, but he had found them all in vain; because Death, in approaching him, had stalked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim. “And it was the mournful influence of the unperceived shadow that caused him to feel- - although he neither saw nor heard - - to feel the presence of my head within …show more content…

The old man’s terror was so extreme, the narrator described it as being so loud, “I thought the heart must burst.”(Giordano, R) and “ The sound would be heard by a neighbor”. Giordano, R. And when the time finally had come, he attacked the old man and pulled the bed over the old man until he was no longer struggling. After the deed was done, the narrator was getting rid of any evidence that would tie him to the crime. It was now 4:00 and he had just finished getting rid of the evidence, when all of a sudden a knock came at the door, it was the police! The neighbor had reported hearing a shriek and raised suspicion and had been deputed to search the house. The narrator willingly let them search the house and when they found nothing out of the ordinary, he had successfully convinced the police nothing had happened. The police proceeded to stay and chat with the narrator, but then he started hearing things, until finally he couldn’t take it anymore, and confessed. But, for a long time, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct: it continued and became more distinct: I

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