There is no doubt that a short story “The Tell- Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe is an extremely interesting literary work characterized by typical peculiarities defining the writing style of Poe. This short story impresses with the atmosphere of mystery, unusual organization of the narration, and extraordinary imagery. On the whole, the theme of this literary work is assertion that people are able to commit outrageous senseless crimes that results in severe guilt which is more painful and intolerable than any legal prosecution and punishment. Poe underlines the fact that crime was senseless describing its reason. The reason of murder is definitely bogus and made- up: the protagonist of the short story kills an old man because the latter looks at him with his Evil Eye. The Evil Eye causes anxiety of the main character and provokes a strong feeling of utter discomfort. Naturally, the old man from the narration is, probably, an ordinary old man residing alone and leading a calm solitary life. It is understandable that the so- called Evil Eye is nothing but the product of the protagonist's imagination and a hallucination accompanying him in the state of mental disorder.
However, although it is not difficult for the main character to commit a crime and conceal all the evidence that may ruin him, his guilt appears to be extremely strong. Guilt does not allow him to act according to his initial plan and forces him to reveal the detail of the murder to officials. Guilt is presented as an intolerable inconvenience completely disrupting a regular life and a habitual course of things. It is associated with a powerful symbol of a beating heart, the heart producing a “low, dull, quick sound- much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton” (Poe 1). The sound increases and arouses strong negative feelings of the protagonist preventing him not only from concentration but also from casual daily routine and a conversation. In my opinion, in such a way, the author wanted to underline that committing a crime may be easy but it is not easy to escape from one's conscience and continue to live as if nothing has happened. Besides, I believe that the ease of crime and the strength of guilt pose a contrast destined to underline the theme of the short story and produce the necessary effect on readers.
“The Tell- Tale Heart” is distinguished by a first person point of view. The story is told by the protagonist who describes his thoughts and feelings during the preparations to the murder, the murder itself and events following his dreadful crime. The protagonist constantly mentions that his mental state is normal and attempts to convince readers in it. He notes that his story is very detailed and matter- of- fact that may serve as a proof of his satisfactory mental health. The protagonist also notes that his senses are sharp and that he can perfectly recollect the whole story, his emotions and even reproduce …