The Tell-Tale Heart

Consider the narrator of Poe’s story. In which ways does Poe obscure details about the narrator? How does this obscurity and ambiguity add nuance to the narrator’s motivation for the murder? How does Poe’s characterization relate to the genre of Gothic literature?

Teaching Suggestion: This Discussion/Analysis Prompt invites students to recontextualize their answer in relation to Poe’s story. As Poe chooses not to reveal the narrator’s gender, age, or relation to the old man, readers are left to make their own conclusions. Given the context of the story, many adaptations, such as the 1941 film, assume that the narrator is a man; however, some scholars argue that there is possibility in the narrator being a woman, particularly one who has experienced sexual abuse from the old man. This prompt works well as an in-class discussion, where students may use textual evidence to substantiate their points.

Differentiation Suggestion: To strengthen students’ argumentative and public-speaking skills, this Discussion/Analysis Prompt may be amended to an oral debate in which students argue for or against the following assertion: Poe’s narrator is most likely a younger male with familial relations to the old man. For guidance on structuring an in-class debate, please see this teacher-facing resource from Harvard University.