TheTell-TaleHeartByEdgarAllanPoe1EdgarAllanPoe

(1809-1849)EdgarAllanPoeisthemasterofthehorrorliterature.TheBlackCatTheTell-TaleHeartTheFallofTheHouseofUsher2settingTime:AtmidnightPlace:Inahouse3characterThenarrator“I”AnoldmanThreepolicemen4SummeryThenarratormurderedanoldman,forafreakishreasonthatoneofhisvictim’seye“resemblesthatofavulture-apaleblueeye,withafilmoverit.”(sele,134).Hewaitedforthechance,andcommittedthecrimeonenight,afterwhichhesoberlydepositedthedeadbodyunderthefloor5Summeryanddestroyedallthetraces.Policemencame,buttheydetectednothingofthemurder.However,whenhefanciedheheardtheoldman’sheartbeatinglouderandlouder,hecannotstandthepsychologicalpressureanylonger.Thusheconfessedtohishorribledeed.6Plot

7ExpositionThenarratordecidedtokilltheoldman,withwhomheseemstobelivingtogether,forhecouldnotbearfacingtheoldman’seye.Hewantedtoridhimselfoftheeyeforever.8

ExternalconflictThenarratorITheoldman’seye9Complication

Forsevennights,thenarratormanagedtosneakintotheoldman’sroomtokillhim,buthefoundtheeyealwaysclosed.Upontheeighthnight,hefinallycommittedthemurderoftheoldmanwithhis“evileye”open,afterwhichhecutofftheheadandthearmsandthelegsanddepositedthemunderthefloor.Whenpolicemencame,thenarratortookthemalloverthehouseandeventotheoldman’sroom.Everythingwasfine,andhefeltveryproudofhiswise.10InternalconflictTheevilIMyfeelingofguilty11

ClimaxTheendofthestorywasalsotheclimax.Itdepictsthedisturbedstateofmindoftheneuroticmurderer.Asthenarratorsitedwiththepolice,hebegantohearasoundinhisears“alow,dull,quicksound-muchsuchasawatchmakeswhenenvelopedincotton”.Thenarrator’s“tell-tale”heartcausedhimtoconvicthimself.12ThemePoe’smosttypicaltheme:psychologicalobsessionembodiedinafirst-personnarrator.13Writingstyle14HowdidPoemakesuchahorriblestory?Pointofview:first-person,unreliablePsychologicalanalysisofthecriminalmind,“awriterofnerves”(Baudelaire)15Thenarrator“I”“True!-nervous-very,verydreadfullynervousIhadbeenandam;butwhywillyousaythatIammad?……Hearken!Andobservehowhealthily-howcalmlyIcantellyouthewholestory”(Sele,134)Thusthenarratorrevealedhismadnessintheveryattempttodenyit.16寫在最后成功的基礎在于好的學習習慣The