Gothic Elements in The Telltale Heart - 1088 Words

Gothic Elements in the â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† The classic short story of â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart†, written by one of the all time masters of horror, Edgar Allen Poe, has always been used as an excellent example of Gothic fiction. Edgar Allen Poe specialized in the art of gothic writing and wrote many stories that portrayed disturbing events and delved deeply into the minds of its characters. In The Tell-Tale Heart, Poe revolves the plot around a raving individual who, insisting that he is sane, murders an old man because of his` â€Å"vulture eye†. The three main gothic elements that are evident in this story are the unique setting, the theme of death and decay, and the presence of madness. Unlike many other works of gothic fiction, this story†¦show more content†¦The narrator can think of nothing else but killing the old man with which he lives even though he has nothing against this man and actually doesn’t mind him. He finds the man’s eye to be so repulsive that the only way to deal with it is by destroying the old man. The eye is described as resembling â€Å"that of a vulture – a pale blue eye, with a film over it.† The narrator also describes how this eye makes him feel when he states that â€Å"I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness – all a dull blue, with a hideous veil that chilled the very marrow in his bones.† This startling quote helps to deepen the story’s suspense. The theme of violence is also shown when the murderer describes what he does with the old man’s body after killing him. â€Å"First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms an d the legs.† The theme of decay is evident throughout the story as well because it is the associated process with death and because of several descriptions in the story, such as the dim lighting, the creaking door hinges, and the loose floorboards, all which can be used as evidence of decay. The old man gives the reader the image of a man whose body is aged and frail as well. The third and final element of gothic literature that can be found in â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† is that of the presence of madness and the thin boundary line thatShow MoreRelatedGothic Horror Stories Essay2239 Words   |  9 PagesUnlike The Red Room and The Monkey’s Paw, the setting of â€Å"The Telltale Heart is not significant to building up suspense; however there are a few elements that do. How is tension and suspense built up and maintained in at least two Gothic horror stories? The genre of Gothic Horror was developed during 19th and early 20th century and had a popular appeal to the new middle class people who sought entertainment. Gothic Horror has common characteristics of suspense, fear and would oftenRead More The Cask of Amontillado1774 Words   |  8 Pagesits predecessor. Bradbury seeks to retain Poe’s love of the double and the secretive (Gothic mentalities where the reader is meant to be a bit uncertain about what they’re reading and what’s going on) while adding, most notably regarding â€Å"TCoA,† the things Poe never had much care for: a beginning, an end, and reason—thus making â€Å"Usher II† not only an homage to Poe’s work, but a companion piece whose beating heart lies within the original work. Poe, according to Professor Epstein of the Queens CollegeRead MoreI Became Insane, With Long Intervals Of Horrible Sanity Essay1986 Words   |  8 PagesI became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity. ― Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe is an American poet well-known for his eerie and gothic based themes. In fact, his tales of mystery and horror were the first to give rise to detective stories. In his short story, â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† (1843), Poe invites us to experience a sinister and mystifying murder through the mind of the murderer, the narrator himself. This self-narrated tale takes place in a house that the narrator shares with an old