The Tell-Tale Heart – Plot and Inferences
This character believes he can hear the old man's heart even after his death.
Who is the narrator?
The narrator’s mental instability can be seen as an example of this theme.
What is madness or the unreliability of perception?
This person wins the lottery but loses their life.
Who is Tessie Hutchinson?
The black box in The Lottery symbolizes this concept.
What is tradition or death?
When a story gives subtle clues about upcoming events, the author is using this literary technique.
What is foreshadowing?
The narrator’s obsession with this part of the old man led him to murder.
What is the old man’s e
The use of darkness and shadows throughout the story reflects this common theme in Poe’s work.
What is fear or the unknown?
The people of the village gather for this annual event.
What is the lottery?
The ending of The Lottery conveys this central theme about society.
What is the danger of blindly following tradition?
This type of inference requires you to combine evidence from the text with your own knowledge.
What is drawing a conclusion?
The sound that drives the narrator to confess his crime to the police is this.
What is the beating of the old man's heart?
The careful detailing of the murder plan shows the narrator's obsession with this.
What is control or precision?
The tradition of the lottery involves selecting a winner through this.
What is drawing slips of paper?
The villagers’ calm attitude toward the lottery reveals this about their relationship with violence.
What is desensitization or normalization of violence?
A recurring subject or idea in a story, such as violence or tradition in The Lottery, is known as this.
What is a theme?
The narrator repeatedly tells us he is not this, but his actions suggest otherwise.
What is mad (insane)?
The narrator's guilt manifests through this physical sensation, which eventually drives him to confess.
What is the sound of the heartbeat?
This character oversees the lottery and prepares the slips of paper.
Who is Mr. Summers?
Tessie’s protest at the end of the story reflects this theme.
What is the randomness of persecution or scapegoating?
This happens when a reader makes an educated guess about a character’s motivation based on their actions and dialogue.
What is making an inference?
The narrator murders the old man on this number night after stalking him.
What is the eighth night?
This literary device is used when the narrator says he hears the old man’s heart, even though he is dead.
What is irony?
The townspeople's willingness to continue the lottery reflects this about human nature.
What is conformity or the acceptance of tradition without question?
Jackson uses this literary device by presenting a normal village setting, only to reveal the shocking truth of the lottery’s purpose.
What is irony or foreshadowing?
When characters are punished or face consequences for their decisions, the author is highlighting this element of a story’s theme.
What is morality or justice?