Use Of Suspense In Edgar Allen Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart

Edgar Allen Poe, the writer of “The Tell-Tale Heart”, has been suspected to have written the old man representing a fatherly figure, such as his landlord. Whether this is true or false, Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” has captivated readers ever since it was written. The narrator talks about a murder he has committed of an old man in such a commendable fashion, due to the fact that he does not like the old man’s “vulture eye”. This essay will explain how Edgar Allen Poe creates and uses suspense to create feelings.

One way suspense is created is through the narrator’s descriptions of events. For example, the narrator says that he,”...turned the latch of his door and opened it—oh, so gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern, all closed, closed, so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head.”(90). This part of
the story is important because the narrator entering the old man’s room is the beginning of the “horror” in the story. These words explain the part where the narrator is entering the old man’s room to attempt to kill him. This creates suspense by using excessive adjectives to let you visualize what is happening and delay the telling of the murder. The reader will feel tense, as a result of the delaying of the murder, which would be added to the tension created from you knowing that he is going to kill him.

Another way suspense is created is by the old man’s behavior. When the narrator makes a sound, and the old man wakes up, he, "had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not. He had been saying to himself—’It is nothing but the wind in the chimney—it is only a mouse crossing the floor,’ or ‘it’s merely a cricket which has made a single chirp.’”(94). This shows that the narrator has made a sound, and the old man is now awake. He is talking to himself, trying to convince himself that there is nothing out-of-the-ordinary. This reveals that the old man paranoid; he is scared, shown by his tone, wording, and stampering. The reader is tensed because the old man is now awake and could get away. The reader would also get a feeling of antsy, wishing that the old man investigated, or did something, rather than sitting in the bed trying to convince himself that there is nothing wrong.

Finally, the story creates suspense by the narrator’s thoughts and words.
Near the end of the story, it says,”No doubt I now grew very pale;—but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased—and what could I do? It was a low, dull, quick sound—much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton.”(94). These words show that he is anxious, as he thinks he can hear the old man’s heartbeat again. This definitely shows the narrator is crazy or delirious, shown when he can hear a pulsing sound in his head and his reaction to it. Here, suspense is created by our protagonist's reaction to the sound. The heartbeat being described could be imagined by the reader would make the reader have a feeling of intenseness. The sudden appearance of the heartbeat in the narrator’s mind may allow the law enforcement personnel in the room catch him, because the narrator is known for erratic, unpredictable actions, not following the usual train of logic. The chance of the narrator getting caught would definitely get the reader tensed and uncertain about what is going to
happen.

In conclusion, Edgar Allen Poe used many different variations creating suspense in “The Tell-Tale Heart”. The narrator’s way of telling the story and the old man’s behavior are some of the main creators of suspense in the story. This story is an ideal example of how suspense is created and the feelings it can create.