The Tell-Tale Heart Group

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dawnmntgmry
dawnmntgmry
Student
High School - 9th Grade

Who is the "you" in the first sentence,"True, nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous, ... but why will you say that I am mad?"

THE STORY IS THE TELL TALE HEART BY EDGAR ALLEN POE

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Posted by dawnmntgmry on Tuesday October 6, 2009 at 3:42 AM and tagged with characters, quote, you.

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  1. luannw Teacher
    High School - 11th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The "you" here is the indeterminate second person.  It is not directed at a specific  That the narrator tells us himself that he is mad gives us reason to doubt anything he says.  It is something of a conundrum - (If I tell you up front that I am a liar, can you even believe me when I say I'm a liar?) - because we don't know how much of what the narrator says is true.  He doesn't even seem to know exactly who he is talking to, thus the indeterminate "you".  As the narrator goes on to tell us what happened, it becomes even clearer that he is, as he claims, mad, or insane.  It appears he is simply rambling and talking to no one.

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    http://www.enotes.com/tell-tale-heart/characters
    http://www.enotes.com/tell-tale-heart/style
    http://www.enotes.com/tell-tale-heart/summary

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    Posted by luannw on Tuesday October 6, 2009 at 4:16 AM