The Tell-Tale Heart

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Characterisation of the narrator in “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Nina Knudsen The story revolves around a nameless person that is and was extremely nervous, but is not and was not insane. By reading the story we find out some important facts about this person. First: He has a “disease” which makes his senses very sensitive, especially his hearing. Second: He likes the old man but he hates his eye. And therefore he wants to kill him. Third: He is very clever and very sneaky. This, however, is all something the narrator told us. The narrator repeatedly tells us throughout the story that he is not and never has been insane. Though the question is if that is true. “But why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses – not destroyed – not dulled them.” Hearing things from heaven and earth, and especially hell. Hearing heartbeats from dead people. This is impossible, so why does he think he hears this? It seems like he is living half in his own world, as if his thoughts become reality to him in a matter of seconds. Or maybe he hearing the heartbeat of the dead old man is his guilt speaking to him? He never disliked the old man, actually he was very fond of him. “It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night.” “I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this!” It seems like he isn’t sure what is haunting him for so long, then suddenly jumping to the conclusion that it is the eye he decides to kill the old man. Is an eye a reason to kill? Or has the narrator, again, in his head made something up which then becomes reality to him? After he decides to kill him, he treats him very nicely for a whole week, he is very quiet when he enters his room at night and adjust the lantern “oh so cautiously” and “very, very slowly” and “With what caution”. He is explaining how well he is

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