The Tell-Tale Heart Symbolism

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In true Edgar Allen Poe fashion, the story of the “Tell- Tale Heart” is told in a dark and twisted manner. Also, the story is full of death and misery, yet it is still beautifully written. This is due to the use of a literary devices such as imagery. As a result, the story can enact a chilling affect upon the reader. However, imagery is not the only literary device that Poe uses in the “Tell- Tale Heart.” Edgar Allan Poe uses symbolism throughout his story “The Tell-Tale Heart,” to convey a deeper message within the story. One of the very first symbols discussed very early in the story is in the description of the old man’s eye. The narrator explains that the old man has a bad eye with a film over it. Therefore, the reader can conclude that the eye probably does not actually see at all. However, the narrator exclaims …show more content…
The words author uses the words “Tell-Tale Heart” in the name as not only a type of foreshadowing but also a symbol, because the heart is what the narrator believes to tell the tale of his guilt. A heart generally depicts a reflection of one’s conscious and love. Likewise, an eye is generally considered to be a door to one’s inner self. The old man’s eye was able to see the narrator’s inner self, but still, the narrator did love the old man. Therefore, the narrator heard the heartbeat of the old man prior to killing him as his conscious attempted to remind him of his love for the old man. However, once his evil inner self had killed the old man, sound of the heartbeat then turns to guilt. This is evident by the sound of the heartbeat growing louder once the narrator’s evil deed is complete. The narrator tries to conceal his guilt and regain control of the situation when he allows the police officers to come in and sit above the old man’s new grave. For a moment, perhaps he felt as if he was above the law by having the police lounge atop of his

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Symbolism is important to any literary work. It provides meaning to the writing beyond what is actually being stated. Symbolism in a literary work develops theme and characters while transcending the work to another level. In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “Tell Tale Heart”, symbolism plays a crucial role in the plot of the story as well as the development of characters. The heart and the eye serve as the most significant symbols in this work and Poe uses them throughout the course of the story to…

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