...Poe’s suspenseful short story, Tell-Tale Heart, effectively portrays the killer through the use of literary tools and themes such as mortality, imagery, and point of view. The main character wants to show he is not insane, and even offers a story as proof. The narrator’s decision to kill the old man so that the eye would stop looking at him marked the initial situation. The motives of the killer aren’t understood, which makes the murder mystery difficult to understand. Was the narrator insane? Did he kill the old man in self-defense? As such, the fear of death is expressed in the text. For example, “I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.” This excerpt illustrates the narrator’s thoughts of mortality. “Yes, he was stone, stone dead”, depicts how the narrator continued to express the old man’s death in a conspicuous/ distinct manner. Edgar Allen Poe can build so much fixated context over the old mans “vulture eye”, amplifying the use of imagery in the text. “You fancy me mad...You should have seen how wisely I proceeded.” This is ironic because the man tells himself he is normal that he is killing a man because of his eye. Another example is, “a pale blue eye, with a film over it.” The symbol in this quote was the film over the eye, how the man couldn't see as well what was going on right under his nose. Poe creates confusion using his pandemonium literature to render the imagery of the story. Whether or not the old man...
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...Alejandro Almonte Percy Haynes English 201 September 27, 2014 “A Question of Motive in The Tell Tale Heart” Why did the man in The Tell Tale Heart kill the old man? That is the question that Poe asks you to ponder in his story yet he gives us scant clues as to the answer. The motive eludes us even as the murderer is guilted into confessing by his own mind and then goes on to thoroughly detail his gruesome deed. The murderer will be referred to as “he” although his sex is never revealed, he refers to himself as a “madman” within this first person narrative (Shen, 287). This piece is tightly written, short to read and it builds at a frantic and hurried pace and then climaxes abruptly. This leaves the reader craving more details and to wishing confirm the man’s motives. Poe’s story consists of the author’s unique ability to create grotesque inventiveness and superb plot construction (Shen, 275). Some interpret the old man as the father of the murderer and his act a release of built up tension and resentment toward him (DeBord, 1). There appears to be no familial bond in the heart of the man when describing the old man, he also lacks the rage that one would expect if the act were resentment fueled murder. Instead the old man seems to be a fond acquaintance of our murderer, because they reside within the same home it can be hypothesized that one or the other is simply a boarder in the other’s home. There is no malice, no greed and no disdain to motivate him, he even...
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...10/15 at the beginning of class (100 points) Please write a 4-5 page essay. All papers should be typed, double-spaced, 12-point font (Times New Roman), with one-inch margins. All papers must analyze how the rhetorical/formal/symbolic/narrative elements of the short story contribute to your understanding of the text. Please review these terms from your literary terms quiz and your class notes to remind yourself how authors deploy them in the stories. Please choose one of the following topics. Note: I ask a lot of questions within each of the topics because I want to give you many options to consider; however, this does not mean that you have to answer all the sub-questions. Use them as guides to jumpstart your thinking. 1. Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Jewett’s “A White Heron,” Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” track a particular symbol throughout the short story. Focusing on one of these stories, show how the author uses the development of the symbol in order to reflect the demise or spiritual growth of the main characters. Hint: for “The Things They Carried, you can focus on the word carry rather than on a specific individual symbol. 2. Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” and Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” are both narrated by unreliable narrators who go crazy. Focusing on one of these stories, how does the author portray insanity? How does the insanity of the narrator contribute to your understanding...
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...Bridgett Traylor ENGL 2111- 12 Mrs. Schmitt 18 February 2016 The Same or Just Coincidence? One may wonder how a biblical narrative and an ancient Mesopotamian epic could have anything in common, as biblical narratives, such as the Flood in Genesis, are written by divine inspiration and ancient Mesopotamian writings, such as "The Epic of Gilgamesh," are steeped in mythology and written solely by human hand. Although fundamental differences are present in the two, the Flood in Genesis and "The Epic of Gilgamesh" also feature distinct parallels. At first glance, the discrepancies between "The Epic of Gilgamesh" and the Flood in Genesis appear to overpower any resemblances perhaps perceived as coincidences. However, further inspection uncovers startling similarities in these two accounts of the Great Flood, leading many to believe that the parallels are not coincidences at all. The story of the Flood in Genesis was first written as part of the Old Testament by the Jewish people. However, it is predated by far by the story "The Epic of Gilgamesh," a story that originates in the same area that holds many striking similarities to the tale of the Flood in Genesis. Though the story is modified to accommodate new characters, many properties of the story are similar, from small details like the creatures that are used as scouts to the religious purpose of the flood itself. For example, both the flood stories start with the characters receiving specific building instructions for a ship...
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...Prof. Dettmer ENGL 1220-c1601 Sept. 14, 2014 A Joy That Kills Do you know how you will react upon hearing the ever so grave news that someone close to you has perished? Imagine, if only but for a moment, the range, intensity, and volume of emotions that will be flowing through your consciousness. In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, we see this scenario played out in a woman’s life during one emotion-filled hour. Louise Mallard is a woman afflicted with heart problems who, upon hearing the unfortunate news of her husband’s death, is thrust into a moment in time when the life she has come to know suddenly begins to take on a whole new meaning. Interwoven in this timeless tale are themes of self-assertion, oppression, repression, and freedom at a time when woman were anything but. Through her use of irony, symbolism, suspense, and descriptive narratives, Chopin masterfully captures the essence of one woman’s plight in “The Story of an Hour”. The use of irony is an effective literary tool Chopin uses throughout her story to keep the audience cognitive of the contradictions inherent in people and situations. Early on, we see an example of situational irony when we are told Louise Mallard, after being informed of her husband’s death, “Did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzing inability to accept its significance” (215). We are further told, “She wept at once, with wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms” (215). Louise appeared to...
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...The Nature of Poetry: Genres and Subgenres Introduction, Out of Chaos Order and Pattern formed by Rhyme: Order and Pattern formed by Rhythm: Major Types • Epic • Narrative • Lyrical The student should also recall that many of these terms can be found in Prof. Rearick's literary glossary at this link. Introduction, Out of Chaos Poetry is as old as the human heart. Long before there were libraries, before people were writing down lines, before there were even cities, commerce or any manifestation of what we think of as culture, there was poetry. More than one critic has noted that literary works are, in some way, an attempt by writers to take the unacceptable chaos of human life and bring order into it. An overt reference to this is Wilde's famous observation given through the voice of Miss Prism, describing her own three volume novel: "The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means." (The Importance of Being Earnest, Act II, Emphasis Mine). To Wilde fiction tried to take the chaotic quality of the unfairness of life and turn it right. Perhaps Poetry is pleasant to human ears because it attempts to the most random of things, human speech, and tries to bring it into some sort of order and pattern. Order and Pattern formed by Rhyme: Most students think that poetry is made when words are brought together which have the same kind of sound at the end of them, but this is only one type of the many kinds of rhyme. Old English poetry, for example...
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...Poetry -A languagearranged in lines with regular rhythm, meter andoften with definite rhyme scheme -Use figurative language -“rhythmical creation of beauty” – Edgar Allan Poe a.Narrative Poetry -intends to tell a story - Usuallyrelates the events in an order of time ^Types^ 1.Epic –tells about the adventures of a traditional hero important to the history 2.Ballad –meant for singing &usually deals with subject such as love, honor or death 3.Metrical Romance- is a long rambling love story in revolving around knights, lords and their ladies 4.Metrical Tale –deals with any emotion or phrase of life & is often told in simple manner b.Lyric poetry - meant to be sung -focus on the writer’s feeling ^Types 1.Ode –most majestic type 2.Elegy –poetic lamentation for the dead 3.Sonnet –can be distinguished by its form for it always consist of 14 rhymed lines 4.Idyll –a descriptive poem of rural or pastoral character which expresses the poet’s feeling of his immediate landscape 5.Song –has a particular melodious quality 6.Simple Lyric –includes all those lyric poems that don’t belong under the other types c.Dramatic Poetry - focus on the characters feelings- designed to be spoken or acted on stage These are plays whose dialogues are written in the form of poetry1. Comedy –a dramatic play of light and humorous character w/ a cheerful or happy ending 2.Tragedy –portrays struggle of a strong –willed protagonist against fate Ex. 5...
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...Allen Poe’s “The Tell Tale Heart,” where both try to peer into the minds of murderers using symbolism and themes of madness; yet, the narrator's perspective and overall tone differ. Throughout both stories the authors explore themes of madness, be it focused on a main character or the narrator themself. In his book, In Cold Blood, Truman Capote explores sanity through Perry Smith, the man who famously murdered the Clutter family in their home in Holcomb, Kansas; all because him and his accomplice wanted access to the Clutter family’s safe. Perry was a happy child until his father started brutally beating his mother, who then took to drinking and promiscuity. Eventually she dragged her kids to San Francisco, where Perry was getting into trouble constantly. He blamed it on having "no rule or discipline, or anyone to show me right from wrong." (Capote 275) This lead to Perry’s...
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...reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. CHAPTER ONE Once There was a Time An Introduction to the History and Ideology of Folk'and Fairy Tales To begin with a true story told in fairy-tale manner: Once upon a time the famous physicist Albert Einstein was confronted by an overly concemed woman who sought advice on how to raise her small son to become a successful scientist. In particular she wanted to know what kinds ofbooks she sll ould read to her son. "Fairy tales," Einstein responded without. hesitation. "Fine, but what else should I read to him after that?" the mother asked. "More fairy tales, "Einstein stated. "And after that?" "Even more fairy tales. " replied the great scientist, and he waved his pipe like a wizard pronouncing a happy end to a long adventure. It now seems that the entire world has been following Einstein's advice. By 1979 a German literary critic could declare that fairy tales are "fantastically in."\ In fact, everywhere one turns today fairy tales and fairy-tale motifs pop up like magic. Bookshops are flooded with . fairy tales by J.R.R. Tolkien, Hermann Hesse, the Grimm Brothers, Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Andersen, a myriad of folk-tale adaptations, feminist and fractured fairy tales, and scores of sumptuously illustrated fantasy...
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...Name- Student name- Tutor name- Week 2 I have gone through first part of all the stories and decided to make the folio based on ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ as it sounds really interesting to me. After reading thoroughly the first part of the story, I can say that Mr. Morris, Sargeant-Major has gone through some rough and brutal phase for which he holds ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ guilty and responsible. There was some bitter fact that he hides from his friend, Mr. White though he warns him about the misfortune. As for Mr. White, I felt that he is curious to know about the truth behind ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ but at the same time somewhere down the line he has a greed of getting more by making wish to ‘The Monkey’s Paw’. Whilst Mrs. White and his son takes this issue in a humorous and light way. From the very beginning author has set the mood of the story as suspicious and mysterious which fills the mind of the reader with a surge to reveal the unknown. From the suspicious environment created, it can be predicted easily that some ghosts and haunting is coming on the way. Very cleverly author revealed that there is some misfortune related to the history of the monkey’s paw and a holy man has spelled something over the mummified paw of monkey but what is that misfortune? Also, what was happening upstairs after Mr. White wished for the first thing? These are yet unsolved questions. Reading the very first part of the story, I can say that the story is filled with thrills, unexpected...
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...father at his request. She proceeds to tell him a story about a mother who, in order to be closer to her drug-addicted son, decides to experiment with the same drug and becomes a drug-addict herself, only to be deserted by the son when he rises above his dependency. Building on her relationship with her own father, Paley artfully uses intertwined narratives and character relationships to present the themes of experience and opportunity. The central conflict between the father and daughter lies within their different life experiences due to a vast generation gap, leaving them with different views not only in life but also in literature. He is an eighty-six year old man, bedridden due to heart disease and, despite his health problems, fully alert. A physician by profession and an artist in retirement, he is still very particular with details and requires that of her as well. In comparison, the daughter, who is also the narrator, has a completely different view on life. Young, comfortable with herself and with changes necessitated by a changing world, she rejects her father’s tendency to cling to the familiar and reject change. Mellow and creative-minded, she is committed to art as a form of self-actualization, whereas her father sees it as a mere vocation- something a careful few “do” but ignorant multitudes play at “doing” while waiting for something real to do. Thus, it is not surprising tension builds between them when he asks her to tell him a...
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...“The Tell-Tale Heart” is narrated by an unnamed individual about which little is revealed. The only fact that is known for certain is that the narrator lives with, and serves, an elderly man. At first he cannot speak to his motive for murder: “I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire.” (1127) Grasping for a motive, he says, “I think it was his eye!” and then, as if to convince himself as much as the audience, he declares, “yes, it was this!” (1127) Searching for a reason for his actions, his uncertainty is apparent and he attempts to justify the brutal murder and dismemberment of the old man, for which there is no apparent logical explanation, by blaming the “Evil Eye.” (1127)...
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...“The Wife of Bath’s Tale”: The Envy of Youth In “The Prologue of the Wife of Bath’s Tale” experience, power-struggles, and manipulations created knowledge, but eventually after time age had belittled: and the envy of the young arose. The main objective is authority, who is engaged by it, who has acquired it, who is deprived or ruined from it; and how can one acquire it. The wife engages her audience by sharing her experiences. She says, “Experience-and no matter what they say in books-is good enough authority” (219). By her disregarding those books, she attempts to show that her experiences have more value; it also suggests the books may be judgmental about her beliefs, character, or life choices. Yet, “good-enough” can also be perceived as a sign of weakness and therefore cause her to lose credibility in her experience. Nevertheless, she soon reveals the advantages of her experiences and shows a great delight in demonstrating her power to control and dominate her marriages. Regarding an older husband, she said, “For during his life I’ve “power of his body” and not he” (223), she is claiming power over an object is proclaiming that until her husband dies, she will have possession over his body. Also makes sure to point out, she has the control, not him. Which also gives a sense of the power struggles between sexes. Her arrogance is so strong that she admits she didn’t value her husband’s love. Then again, why would she? She is only interested in sharing the techniques...
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...representations of various elements are crucially re-imagined. Tim Burton’s “Sleepy Hollow” was released on November 19, 1999, a few months before the new millennium. Set in 1799, Burton’s film modifies the 1790 date that Irving’s text is set in, showing an acute concern with living out anxieties surrounding millennial change in the ‘safe’ formats of film and of established folk legend. Irving’s tale, written in 1820, also works with antiquity, but in a different manner: it lives out colonial cultural anxieties of Irving’s present, as he seems to be concerned with constructing archetypes of folk and with placing folk culture in the new American literary landscape. Examining the two versions of the tale, then, provides a fascinating peek into the transformation of concerns and values in America from Irving’s nineteenth century landscape to Burton’s twentieth (on the verge of twenty-first) century. Burton makes several significant moves that modify the basics of Irving’s tale, frequently at the cost of the folk elements of Irving’s version. The frame narrative of Irving’s story—the tale, part of a series titled “The Sketch Book,” begins with the preface “Found among the papers of the Late Diedrich Knickerbocker—is completely done away with (Irving 41). What is more, the second narrator of the story, who is narrating to Knickerbocker “at the corporation meeting of the ancient city of the Manhattoes,” is also disposed of (Irving 61). There is no narrator at all in Burton’s film...
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...that of his morally governed, rational mother, who refuses to take any more than her fair share owed to her by Billy Bones, as the Jim tells us she was stubbornly “not consenting to take a fraction more than...
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