Plot & Story
What motivates the narrator to kill the old man?
The narrator is obsessed with the old man’s “vulture eye.”
How is the old man described by the narrator?
He is described as innocent, helpless, and fearful. Also, he has a "vulture eye".
Which device hints early on that something bad will happen?
Foreshadowing
How does punctuation change from the beginning to the end of the story?
It becomes more chaotic, with shorter sentences and more exclamation marks.
Which tense should be used when writing a summary?
Simple present
How does the narrator hide the old man’s body after the murder?
He dismembers the body and hides it under the floorboards.
Why is the narrator considered unreliable?
He insists he is sane, but his thoughts and actions reveal paranoia and madness.
Which device is shown through frantic punctuation and short sentences?
Pace
What effect does repetition such as “louder, louder, louder” have on the reader?
It increases tension and reflects the narrator’s panic.
Name two things that should not be included in a summary.
e.g. personal opinions, quotations, "I", line numbers, ...
Why do the police come to the house?
A neighbor reports hearing a scream.
How do the police officers behave during their visit?
They behave calmly, politely, and rationally.
Which Gothic device appeals directly to the reader’s sense of hearing?
Onomatopoeia
Why does Poe use first-person narration in this story?
To show the narrator’s thoughts directly and highlight his unreliability.
What information (5 things!) belongs in the introductory sentence of a summary?
Title, author, genre, year of publication, and main topic
What ultimately causes the narrator to confess the crime?
He believes he hears the old man’s beating heart and is overwhelmed by guilt.
What does the contrast between the narrator and the police reveal?
It emphasizes the narrator’s mental instability (the police is calm, the narratorgets more and more agitated).
Give an example (from the text) for Onomatopoeia.
individual answer
How does pace reflect the narrator’s mental state?
A faster pace shows rising panic and loss of control.
Why must a summary focus only on the main events and ideas of a text?
Because a summary presents the essential information in a clear and condensed form without minor details or interpretation.
In what way does the narrator believe he has committed the “perfect crime”?
He thinks the murder was carefully planned and that all evidence is hidden.
How does the narrator’s self-description differ from his actions?
He claims to be rational and calm, but acts obsessively and irrationally.
Give an example (from the text) for an alliteration.
individual answer
Why does the narrator’s language make the story unsettling?
It gets more intense the more the story goes and. It also immerses the reader in his disturbed mind.
Without looking at your notes, sum up the content of the story.
individual answer, something like: "The Tell-Tale Heart” is about a narrator who murders an old man because of his “vulture eye” and hides the body under the floorboards. When the police arrive, he believes he hears the dead man’s heart beating and, driven by guilt and panic, confesses the crime."