Theme Of Guilt In The Tell Tale Heart - 975 Words

Guilt is one of the very few feelings in the world, that no one person should ever feel, but eventually has to. That feeling of doing something wrong, even though it is very well known that it is wrong. The feeling that occupies every thought, every second, every action when it’s felt. The unfortunate part is that guilt is usually felt for a very long time, so those restless night, those dreadful days will be full of guilt consuming the mind. It could be said that the feeling of guilt is so great that it not only brings that horrible feeling of that what has been done is wrong, but also brings physical anguish to the person who has it. Such is the case with Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter, and Edgar Allen Poe in â€Å"The Tell-Tale†¦show more content†¦Suddenly, he his burdened and consumed with the guilt of killing the old man, and becomes so nervous that they know of his deed that he even tells them of what he has done. The words highlight how nervous he was but also about what guilt can do to you, it takes over every thought in your brain that you overthink, and don’t think about anything else. Guilt causes him so much grief mentally that he feels compelled to just confess his sin. Additionally, both Hawthorne and Poe project the similar theme, however Hawthorne uses long and enduring syntax, and Poe uses sporadic and stagnant syntax. Hawthorne in his passage: â€Å" It was his genuine impulse to adore the truth, and to reckon all things shadow-like, and utterly devoid of weight or value, that had not its divine essence as the life within their life.† (Hawthorne 1-3). He also writes â€Å" More than once he had cleared his throat, and drawn in the long, deep, and tremulous breath, which, when sent forth again, would come burdened with the black secret of his soul.† (Hawthorne 15-17). These two quotes are filled to an abundance with commas, to show that similar to how the sentences are long, his suffering too is drawn out and extensive. His long sentences usually also list his pains, like in the last quote when he talks about his breath, the constant description of the breath is not only agonizing to read but also shows that everything he does is long and drawn outShow MoreRelatedThe Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe879 Words   |  4 PagesIn between guilt, paranoia and obsession The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe uses several literary elements to support the themes of the story. The story is based on a gruesome murder of an old man. The author uses madness, obsession and guilt as themes to prove how the narrator is truly twisted and insane. Madness is the first theme of the story; in the beginning the narrator tries to convince the audience he is not mad (insane). â€Å"TRUE!... nervous very, very nervous I had been and am; but whyRead MoreThe Tell Tale Heart And The Premature Burial915 Words   |  4 PagesThe Tell-Tale Heart and The Premature Burial are two short stories by Edgar Allan Poe. The Tell-Tale Heart is about the narrator killing an old man. The Premature Burial is about a mans fear of being buried alive. The theme of the two works are closely related to fear and guilt. Poe’s stories have terrifying plots, solid themes and literary criticism. The Tell-Tale heart starts as An unknown narrator says he is nervous but not mad. Then he informs the reader that he will be telling a story aboutRead MoreEssay on The Tell-Tale Heart852 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish 1020 15 February 2013 Themes of â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† Edgar Allen Poe explores the similarity of love and hate in many stories, especially â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart.† In â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† the narrator confesses a love for an old man whom he then violently murders and dismembers the body and hides the pieces below the floorboards in the bedroom. When the police arrive, the narrator appears normal and unshaken by the murder. Later on, the man gives in to the guilt and cannot withstand knowingRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart1581 Words   |  7 Pagestwisted themes and ideas. An example in his works is the conception of overthinking something that is not there. Many of these tales end with someone being killed due to the fascination of an unrealistic problem trying to be solved. Imagination is a main factor that drives the narrators to become worried. The obsessing narrators in Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart†, â€Å"The Black Cat†, and â€Å"The Imp of the Perverseâ €  demonstrate the idea that guilt drives people insane. â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† is oneRead MoreThe Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe1030 Words   |  5 PagesA Guilty- Mad Heart â€Å"Burduck then goes on to ponder how Poe used cultural anxieties and psychological panic to advantage.† (Grim Phantasms, G.A. Cevasco). In The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, a nameless man narrates the story of how he murdered an elderly man because of his eyes. In his short story The Tell-Tale Heart, Poe shows the themes of guilt and the descent into madness through the narrator, in this gothic horror story. Edgar Allan Poe wrote many gothic tales throughout his lifeRead MoreTheme Of The Tell Tale Heart782 Words   |  4 PagesSymbols of Guilt â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† In â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† the poet, Edgar Allan Poe, writes of several different themes. Some of them include time and human nature. However, the most prevalent themes remain as the themes of guilt and insanity. The poem revolves around a man that lives with an old man that has an eye that the narrator fears. He calls it the vulture eye. He believes that it is evil, so he plans to murder the old man. Edgar Allan Poe expresses the themes of insanity and guilt by usingRead MoreAnalysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s A Tell Tale Heart1289 Words   |  6 Pages Inside the Heart There are many well-known poets, but not many are as unique as Edgar Allan Poe. By the age of 13, Poe had become a creative poet (Biographies). Many of Poe s works were horrific fictional stories. His first book was published in Boston in 1827, called Tamerlane and other Poems. More of Poe s major works include Tales of the Grotesque a d Arabesque, which included his most spine tingling tales such as Ligeia and The Fall of the House of Usher. Most of Poe s works haveRead More Critical Analysis of Poes The Tell Tale Heart Essay examples1635 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of Poes The Tell Tale Heart The Tell Tale Heart is a story, on the most basic level, of conflict. There is a mental conflict within the narrator himself (assuming the narrator is male). Through obvious clues and statements, Poe alerts the reader to the mental state of the narrator, which is insanity. The insanity is described as an obsession (with the old mans eye), which in turn leads to loss of control and eventually results in violence. Ultimately, the narrator tells his story of killingRead MoreThe Tell Tale Heart And The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow1690 Words   |  7 PagesThe Themes â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† and â€Å"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow† One of Washington Irving’s short and most famous stories ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ has become a ghoulish characteristic yet an individual might still be unaccustomed with its idiocy (Hoffman, 425). Based on the real legend of Ichabod Crane, the story reveals how he disappeared. For that reason, the story revolves around the themes of wealth, appearances, truth, warfare, supernatural, gluttony and greed. On the other hand, TheRead MoreAnalysis of Edgar Allen Poes The Tell-Tale Heart1428 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Edgar Allen Poes 1843 short story The Tell-Tale Heart is about a young man who becomes mortally obsessed with an old mans creepy eye and ultimately kills him. Thomas Hardys 1902 poem The Man He Killed is about a soldier who has become used to killing people just because they are on the other side of the war. Both of these narratives lend insight into guilt related to death, told by a person who is self-aware enough to tell the story in a first perso n narrative. Moreover, both of these stories