Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” is not a “whodunit - we know right from the start who the murderer is.” (Benfey 29). The narrator describes in detail how he prepares and commits the murder of an old man, he lives together with. All of the time he “bases his plea upon the assumption that madness is incompatible with systematic action” (Robinson 94) and emphasises that he is not mad. “His plot is motiveless” (Hoffman 227), he only murders the old man because of his “Evil Eye” (Poe 278) and hides his dismembered body under the roofs of his room. After that he welcomes three police officers in the house and allows them to search the house. He still feels safe because he has perfectly hidden all indications for the deed. But then his own madness makes him go crazy, he thinks to hear the beating of the old mans heart so loud that it will betray him and finally he makes a confession of the murder.
The reader does not get to know much about the narrator of this story, he never learns his name, his job, in what town he lives (Benfey 32). There are various texts which try to explain this or the narrators trains of thought. This paper is meant to analyse the general kind of narrator, if there is an unreliable narrator or not and find proofs for the assumptions made.
At a glance
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Definition of the term “unreliable narrator”
3. Proofs for the unreliable narrator in “The Tell-Tale Heart”
3.1. Paratextual Signal
3.2. Contradictions
3.3. Psychological and emotional irregularities
3.4. Peculiarities on the stylistic level
4. Conclusion
5. Word Count
Objectives & Topics
This paper examines Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" to analyze the general kind of narrator and determine whether the story features an unreliable narrator by identifying textual proofs.
- Definition and historical context of the unreliable narrator concept
- Paratextual signals indicating unreliability within the title
- Explicit and implicit contradictions in the narrator's comments and actions
- Psychological and emotional irregularities displayed by the narrator
- Stylistic peculiarities such as subjective comments and direct addresses to the reader
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. Paratextual Signal
As a paratextual signal the title (ibid. 121) is designated. Here, right in the beginning we can find proofs for the unreliable narrator of the short story. It tells us that it is about a “tell-tale heart”. At close range the words tell and tale attract attention. In the direct translation you may think, that someone in the story tells you a tale. Tales can be simple narrations, but imagine the tales of the Brothers Grimm, Little Red Riding Hood and so on. You can see, that tales are not always true stories, so the narrator of this story maybe tells you lies or tells the story from a very limited point of view and this would be unreliable.
Chapter Summary
1. Introduction: Introduces Edgar Allan Poe's short story and outlines the paper's aim to analyze whether the narrator is unreliable.
2. Definition of the term “unreliable narrator”: Outlines the origins and theoretical definitions of unreliable narration according to literary scholars.
3. Proofs for the unreliable narrator in “The Tell-Tale Heart”: Examines specific textual evidence categorized into paratextual signals, contradictions, psychological irregularities, and stylistic peculiarities.
4. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings confirming the narrator's unreliability and suggests avenues for comparison with other works.
5. Word Count: States the total word count of the paper.
Keywords
Edgar Allan Poe, The Tell-Tale Heart, unreliable narrator, fallible narrator, literary analysis, paratextual signal, contradictions, psychological irregularities, stylistic level, short story
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this academic paper?
The paper examines Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" to analyze the nature of its narrator and determine if it qualifies as an unreliable narrator.
What are the central thematic focus areas?
The core areas include the theoretical definition of unreliability, paratextual analysis, narrator contradictions, psychological and emotional irregularities, and stylistic peculiarities.
What is the primary research question or goal?
The primary goal is to investigate whether the story employs an unreliable narrator and to find concrete textual proofs supporting this assumption.
Which academic framework or methodology is applied?
The paper applies narrative theory concepts and terminology from literary studies, specifically referencing frameworks by Wayne C. Booth and Vera and Ansgar Nünning.
What topics are covered in the main body of the text?
The main body details specific textual proofs, analyzing the title, narrator contradictions, emotional instability, questionable values, memory lapses, and subjective stylistic devices.
Which keywords best characterize the publication?
Key terms include Edgar Allan Poe, The Tell-Tale Heart, unreliable narrator, fallible narrator, literary analysis, and narrative theory.
Who originally coined the term used as the foundation of this study?
The term "unreliable narrator" was introduced in 1961 by Wayne C. Booth in his book The Rhetoric of Fiction.
How does the author analyze paratextual elements in the story?
The author examines the title "The Tell-Tale Heart," focusing on the linguistic components "tell" and "tale" to suggest potential narrative distortion or fabrication.
What specific psychological irregularities does the narrator exhibit?
The narrator shows extreme nervousness, emotional involvement, questionable moral values, an obsessive insistence on his own credibility, and memory lapses regarding his motives.
- Quote paper
- Lena Spiekermann (Author), 2007, Is there an unreliable narrator in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/180522
