The Tell-Tale Heart Group

Question:

santa22
santa22
Student
College - Freshman

What is the point of view of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart"?

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Posted by santa22 on Saturday September 12, 2009 at 7:30 PM and tagged with point of view, the tell-tale heart.

Answers:

  1. weddanever
    weddanever Student
    High School - 12th Grade

    the author uses the first person point of view in describing his character. he uses the pronoun I. he still use second person and third person. second person because he uses the pronoun you and he is as if he is talking to you. third person because he use the pronoun his and he in describing the motions of the old man

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    Posted by weddanever on Sunday September 13, 2009 at 2:28 AM


  2. emratica Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The narrator in "The Tell-Tale Heart" shares the story from his own, personal perspective; thus the story is told in a first-person point of view. By using personal pronouns such as I, me, and my, the narrator is able to tell his tale as only he can experience it. Any other point of view, like omniscient, for example, would give the audience a look into the minds of other characters in the story, not just the narrator's.

    The first-person point of view is what makes this story so chilling. At the beginning of the story, the narrator asserts that he is not "mad" but instead completely sane. As the story progresses, the reader comes to realize that he is truly insane and is therefore an unreliable narrator: his words cannot be trusted. The demented views of this narrator give the audience a disturbing look into the mind of a seriously sadistic person, and adds to the author's overall haunting tone.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/tell-tale-heart-text

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    Posted by emratica on Wednesday September 16, 2009 at 6:46 PM