The Narrator
The Old Man
Central Ideas
Structural Choices
Important Events
100
What does the narrator decide to do to the old man?
Kill him.
100
What part of the old man upsets the narrator?
His eye.
100
What part of speech (noun, verb, adverb, etc.) is a central idea?
Noun
100
What is one example of a structural choice?
Punctuation, repetition, pacing, etc.
100
What keeps getting louder at the end of the text?
The old man's heartbeat.
200
What does the narrator say has strengthened his senses?
His nervousness.
200
What does the narrator do with the old man after he kills him?
He chops up the body and buries it under the floor.
200
Give one word that could be a central idea. This does not have to be from "The Tell-Tale Heart."
Answers will vary.
200
What is repetition?
Repetition is when an author repeats words or ideas.
200
How does the narrator kill the old man?
He crushes him or suffocates him with the old man's bed.
300
When does the narrator spy on the old man?
Every night just at midnight for seven nights. The narrator kills the old man on the eighth night.
300
What does the narrator think he hears when the police officers finish inspecting the house?
The old man's heartbeat.
300
What does the narrator deny at the beginning of the story?
Being insane.
300
How does Poe use punctuation in the text?
Poe uses punctuation to show how agitated the narrator becomes when he thinks he can hear the old man's heart beating.
300
Why can't the narrator kill the old man when he spies on him at first?
The old man's eye is closed.
400
How does the narrator act when he opens the door to the police officers?
Confidently or arrogantly like he knows he will not get caught.
400
How does the old man react to the narrator when he wakes up every morning?
He acts normal and does not suspect the narrator of spying on him.
400
How does Poe show the central idea of guilt in the text?
The narrator confesses at the end of the text because of his guilt, which is symbolized by the old man's heartbeat.
400
How does Poe affect the pacing of the story?
Poe slows down the action in the story to show how careful and cautious the narrator is when carrying out his plan.
400
What evidence does the narrator leave behind after killing the old man?
Nothing. He cleans everything up completely.
500
Why does the narrator get mad at the police officers?
He thinks they are mocking him by ignoring the old man's heartbeat.
500
What does the narrator tell himself when he hears the narrator in the middle of the night?
He says it is just a cricket or the wind, but he does not convince himself.
500
How does Poe show the central idea of hypocrisy in the text?
The narrator says he loved the old man, but decides to kill him.
500
What is suspense?
Suspense is when the audience is unsure of what will happen next in a story or is anticipating an upcoming event.
500
Why does the narrator ask the two questions at the beginning of the story?
People have called him crazy and he is disagreeing with them.
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