Alexandra Boeva

Mr.Butler

Literacy

11/09/2017

There is no doubt that Edgar Allan Poe used the narrative structure to increase the

excitement in the “ The Tell Tale Heart”. In the exposition the author uses the dialogue of the

character to conceive the idea that the narrator is mad “True! --nervous --very, very

dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad… I loved the old

man… --I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye

forever”. This proves that the author is using the narrative structure to increase excitement in

the narrative early on because he has already introduced an interesting concept in the mad

man protagonist and narrator. This also shows that the author is introducing the conflict of the

mad man/protagonist trying to kill the old man in the beginning which will make for a fast

paced story. In conclusion the author wants to introduce the conflict and characters in a

interesting yet predictable fashion to make the narrative more compelling.

There is no doubt that the way the author writes the rising action of the story helps

bring excitement into the narrative. The way the author writes the rising action of the plot is a

very descriptive repetitive manner. So the reader feels like the plot is told by an actual

madman. An example of this manner of writing is a quote from the text: “And every night,

about midnight, I 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, that no

light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how

cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly --very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the

old man's sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I

could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha! would a madman have been so wise as this, And
then, when my head was well in the room, I undid the lantern cautiously-oh, so cautiously

--cautiously (for the hinges creaked) --I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon

the vulture eye.” This shows that the author is being descriptive to mimic the way a madman

thinks and goes over every detail with extreme caution and attentiveness. This also shows that

the author is using the rising action to forbode the reader that the protagonist will kill the old

man. To conclude the way that Edgar Allan Poe writes the rising action for his short story

“the Tell Tale Heart” brings more flurry into the narrative.

There is no doubt that the author uses the lack of falling action to make the narrative

more enthralling. In the end of the narrative the author’s character goes completely insane

and thinks that the heart of the dead man the killed is still beating. So he yells at the

policemen to pick up the floorboards to reveal the body, but the author concluded the story

before the policemen reacted. “Villains!... dissemble no more! I admit the deed! --tear up the

planks! here, here! --It is the beating of his hideous heart!”. The author used this way of

finishing his story as a non ending cliff hanger you are not sure what will happen in the end

of the narrative so you are excited by it even after you finished reading. This helps the

narrative leave a lasting impression on the reader. You don’t really remember the hundreds of

stories about the prince fighting to free the princess, but you do remember the one story

where you got to see the inside of a mad man’s head and there was no conclusion. In

conclusion the author uses the suspense at the end of the story to make the narrative more

compelling.

Works Cited:

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/poe/telltale.html