The Tell Tale Heart Sparknotes
The first short story under analysis is titled “The Tell-Tale Heart”. The story is told by an unknown first person narrator which is the protagonist at the same time. In the first paragraph, the narrator addresses directly the readers and claims that he is very nervous but not mad. He believes that his “disease” has helped to sharpen his senses. To prove his sanity, he relates his story.
The narrator has killed an old man. The reason that motivated the crime is obscure even for himself. He says that he did not have any reason to kill him except for the old manʼs eye: “Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye!
The narrator has killed an old man. The reason that motivated the crime is obscure even for himself. He says that he did not have any reason to kill him except for the old manʼs eye: “Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye!