'Insane In The Tell-Tale Heart'

In the story, “The Tell-Tale Heart” my theme for this story is that it doesn’t take an insane person to kill another person. This is the theme for this story because the main character may seem insane, but there is a chance he might not be. One the other hand, some people might not agree and think he is insane. One possibility people would agree with is where he says he isn’t mad.

In the story, the narrator says, “... but why will you say that I am mad? I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I have heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad?” (p. 78) Certainly it could be said that this proves that his extensive increase in hearing could mean he is mad, but while this is a good point, it fail to account for other
He didn’t kill him as a crazy man would, but a sane, calm, serene person. The narrator says, “... But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded- with that caution- with what foresight- with what dissimulation I went to work!... And this I did for seven long nights- every night just at midnight- but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his evil eye!” (p. 78-79) In other words, this means he is clever and sagacious about what he is doing and circumspect while doing it. Thus, he is not insane. On the contrary, other people might think this is what makes him insane, but an insane person wouldn’t put that much effort to be that discreet. He used logic thinking to kill him, and as I said before, an insane person can’t think logically or concentrate. The narrator says, “I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever. Now, this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing.” (p. 78) Therefore, the narrator admits that he isn’t a madman. He believed the he was more qualified to kill someone than a crazy person would be. He was more careful about the job and of what he was penetrating. Meanwhile, if you still think of him as insane, the narrator explains, “If you still think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the hands and and arms and the legs. Then I took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited it all between the scantlings. I then replaced it all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye- not even his- could have detected anything wrong.”