My Work

This piece aims to discuss the parallelism between the clouded eye of the old man and the clouded mind of the narrator in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.” I chose to showcase this piece being that it was the first major assessment I was given at Lewis. Though my focus isn’t highly critical, I am proud that I connected to a topic that is something that has also been discussed by scholars thus giving me confidence in my critical approach to analyzing texts.

Michael Cotter

Introduction to Textual Studies

 

Understanding The Text:

“The Tell-Tale Heart”

 

Passage 1:

1. Transcription: TRUE! --nervous --very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses --not destroyed --not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily --how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

 

2. Ideas & Additional Research: What captures my attention almost instantly was the statement of a “disease [that] had sharpened [his] senses.” Almost instantly I began thinking of possible mental disabilities that could be construed in the mind of the ill person as normality. Possible ideas are: down syndrome [physical strength and pain tolerance heightened, construed values (however unlikely due to the elocution of the story)], dissociative disorder [amnesia, personification of objects, out of body mentality (highly possible – more research)], obsessive compulsive disorder [need for control, obedience, perfection (fits well with the concept of wanting the eye to be perfect)], Schizophrenia [experience visual and/or auditory hallucinations, trouble deciphering reality from hallucinations (very plausible – more research)].

 

3. Paraphrase: True I was very nervous and still am; but how am I crazy? This disease makes me sharp – not broken – nor dulled. It made my hearing impeccable. I could hear everything good and everything evil. How am I crazy? Listen and watch how sane and calm I am as I tell you what happened.

 

4. Exact Repetitions: nervous (2), very (2), I (6), mad (2) sense (2), hearing/heard (3)

 

5. Strands:     nervous, mad, calm

                        heaven, earth, hell

 

6. Binary Oppositions:         heaven vs hell

                                                calmly vs nervous

                                                sharpened vs destroyed/dulled

 

7. Figurative Language: The common saying: “sharpened my senses” is just idiomatic expression because one cannot psychically take their senses and have them sharpened by a blade or blade sharpener.

 

Passage 2:

1. Transcription: It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture --a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees --very gradually --I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.

 

2. Ideas & Additional Research: The connection to the eye being that of a vulture. Vultures are birds of prey that feed on the weak or dead animals of the earth. When they kill one for themselves, they tend to blind the victim by pecking at the eyes until the victim is blinded so all furthering blows are surprises.

 

3. Paraphrase: It’s hard to say when I first got the idea; but once I had it, it’s all I could think about. There was no reason. There was no motive. I loved the old man. He never did things in my poor interest. He never insulted me. I didn’t want his money. I think it was because of his eye! Yes that’s it! He had the eye of a vulture – light blue with a cloud over it. Whenever he looked at me with it, I got chills; and so I began progressively to plan the murder of the old man, and get rid of the eye for good.

 

4. Exact Repetitions:  I (3), eye (3), he (3)

 

5. Strands:     brain, eye, blood, mind

                        passion, loved, desire

                        haunted, wronged, insult

 

6. Binary Oppositions:         day vs night                                       

 

7. Figurative Language: Again the use of idiomatic expressions in saying the narrator’s “blood ran cold” or it referred to the narrator’s mental stability and the “disease” he has that could make him believe the eye has powers.

 

Passage 3:

1. Transcription: 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. And this I did for seven long nights --every night just at midnight --but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And every morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber, and spoke courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and inquiring how he has passed the night. So you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed, to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.

 

2. Ideas & Additional Research: Possible things to examine would be the numbers mentioned and a deeper significance of them. Seven could refer to the story of creation or the seven deadly sins. Twelve could be the twelve apostles, twelve days of Christmas, midday/midnight. Additionally the concept of “Evil Eye” could possibly be coinsiding with the concept of the all-seeing eye of Kabbalah.

 

3. Paraphrase: Ha! Would a crazy person be so smart to do this? When my head was in the room, I turned off the lantern carefully, so carefully, carefully because it squeaked – I turned it off so much that just a single beam of light illuminated the vulture eye. And this I did every night for a week – every night just at midnight – but I found the eye always closed; and so I couldn’t do the deed; for it was not the old man I had a problem with but rather his Evil Eye. And every morning, when day broke, I went fearlessly into his room and spoke to him without trepidation, calling him by name in a happy voice, and asking how he slept that night. So you see he would’ve been very suspicious old man to have thought that just that every night just at midnight I looked into his room while he slept.

 

4. Exact Repetitions: I (5), cautiously (3), eye (3), he/him (6)

 

5. Strands:     single, seven, twelve

                       

6. Binary Oppositions:         morning vs night

                                                boldly vs cautiously

 

7. Figurative Language: The “Evil Eye” mention is interesting because of it being capitalized in the story it’s almost personified in the sense of it having it’s own identity. Additionally, an eye alone cannot be evil, a person with eyes can be but the organ itself cannot, thus adding to the eye’s personification.

Michael Cotter

Dr. Mustafa

Introduction to Textual Studies

4 November 2013

The Veils:

Understanding the Veiled Eye and Mind in “The Tell-Tale Heart”

            Edgar Allan Poe is arguably the most well-known horror writer of all time. Aside from his works being made into audiobooks, movies and television shows, his stories have managed to stay relevant over the past two hundred years. One of Poe’s most famous works is “The Tell-Tale Heart.” This twisted tale puts the reader into an unsettling perspective as the audience begins to have a conversation with a murderer as he remembers the details of his kill. The narrator works for an old man as a caretaker. During his time with the old man, the narrator becomes fixated on the old man’s deformed eye. The old man’s eye was “a pale blue with a film over it” (Poe 785) which could “chill the very marrow in [his] bones” (787) .The fact that the old man’s eye is cloudy is particularly interesting due to Poe’s fixation on eyes and his belief that they are able to show our true selves and expose our souls. The old man who is murdered is not very different from the narrator at all; in fact, they both have deformed organs: a veiled eye and brain.

            The old man’s eye is considered to be “evil” by the narrator due to the fact that it is “veiled.” Though most eyes that have a film over them are typically deemed useless or at least as hindered in their abilities, the eye of the old man was the opposite. The eye has function and possesses supernatural powers over the narrator. To show the eye’s functionality, the narrator distinctly makes a note after restoring the floor in which the old man is buried under, saying that “that no human eye --not even his --could have detected any thing wrong” thus proving that even the veiled eye could see through it’s fog much like the brain of the narrator could still think though it’s fog (787). Additionally, though the phrases of “making my blood run cold” and “chilling my soul” are rather common figures of speech today, but perhaps the eye could physically make the narrator feel as though these occurrences were actually happening to him, thus giving him credibility in believing that the eye was in fact evil. The eye of the old man has the sheer ability in a glance to “chill the very marrow”(787) of his bones as well as make his “blood [run] cold” (785). Neither a normal eye, nor normal glance, could do this to a person. This means that functioning during the narrator’s daily life with the old man was nearly impossible. Through the foggy thoughts of the narrator believing his bodily needs were being shut down, like warm pumping blood, the narrator believed he could’ve died. In a sense, due to his mental stability, or lack thereof, the narrator found himself to be in a kill-or-be-killed situation. 

In addition to this chilling observation, the eye of the old man isn’t even seen as human by the narrator; it’s that of a vulture. This particular imagery is very interesting. Vultures are prone to have very dark eyes and commonly can have a light haze to them or a “veil.” By knowing this reference we can infer that the narrator is mildly familiar with the bird or is educated enough to make this reference. Another interesting fact is that a vulture is known as a bird of prey due to the fact that vultures feast on meat typically from dead animals. Additionally, vultures are known for being able to eat everything from skin to organs and leaving behind nothing but bare bones. Taking this comparison even further, vultures are very patient creatures. Some vultures will hunt for food in a group and kill a weak or old animal by pecking at its body, particularly the eyes, to disorient and blind the victim with their large beaks.  Once a vulture has blinded the victim, all oncoming attacks to kill the prey will be a surprise. Interestingly enough, the old man’s eye was already practically rendered useless, making the narrator’s attacks that much simpler. If a vulture is on a hunt for food alone, it will tend to circle it’s prey for hours waiting for them to die before they feast on the corpses, similar to how the narrator waited patiently for hours to kill the eye of the old man.

            Perhaps a reason the eye was such a problem to the narrator was because he subliminally saw his “disease” that veiled his mind in the eye of the old man. An example of this association is shown heavily in the way that the tale is recanted. By the narrator’s excessive emphasis on first person “I”s and “my”s, the reader cannot help but feel discomfort.  This demonstrates the narrator’s priorities: himself. The idea that the narrator will put his own best interest first cannot help but cross the mind of the audience which is primarily why there are so many mentions of “I” and “eye” in the story, being that he sees himself in the eye of the old man. Another example of this idea of the narrator seeing himself in the eye is the overwhelming use of the word “I” in his recanting of the night he killed the eye. The homonym between “eye” and “I” echoes through the tale as well as the mention of “you” which prevents the reader from escaping the fact that the readers are indeed having a conversation with a mentally unstable murderer. This chilling placement makes the reader uncomfortable. The discomfort is only enhanced with the sharp long-i sounds frequently use in the story like: “I,” “my,” “night,” and “cry,” just to name a few. Furthermore, in every sentence of the story that the word “eye” is mentioned the word “I” is also stated.

            Another way the eye reminded the narrator of himself was because it was veiled, much like his own mind which is seen especially through the dissociation occurring between the eye and the old man. The way the narrator sees the eye as a separate being is possibly a nod that the narrator suffered from a dissociative disorder. Having known this, which is evident by the statement: “the disease had sharpened my senses --not destroyed --not dulled them.” (785), the narrator may subliminally project the cloudiness of his own mind on the old man’s eye. By seeing the filmy eye, the narrator might subconsciously associate the eye with his own brain and the negative feedback of his own diagnosis. He himself may deem the eye useless as the doctors of the time may have deemed his mind useless due to his disorder. By projecting his own demons onto the eye of the old man, naturally it makes sense that he would want to exterminate the evil darkness that was his own disability. Through the foggy thought process of the narrator comes a clean desire and understanding of how he could have such an undying craving for the death of the eye. In the narrator’s mind, by killing the veiled eye, there could be normality, a foreign concept much desired by the narrator who makes heavy claims of this in the very beginning of the story where he calls into question the claims of madness against him by saying: “how, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily --how calmly I can tell you the whole story.” (785). This demonstrates the idea that madness does not recognize madness.

With having the veiled mind of narrator telling the story, the perspective and validity is questionable. The story is being called into question due to the fact that the narrator is possibly suffering from dissociative disorder. “It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none.” (785). In saying this, the narrator admits to having had no true motive for his actions against the eye and the old man. “I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye!” (785). This is perhaps one of the most important parts in the entire story. Through this short excerpt, the narrator admits he merely wanted to rid himself of the eye and not the old man who ended up being a casualty. The thought process shows how the narrator is not a mentally stable person. He dissociates the old man and his eye as separate entities because the eye is evil, not the old man. This same thought process unlocks the theory that the narrator was suffering from some sort of dissociative disorder. Common symptoms of this disorder are: amnesia of time/events/and people, anxiety, depersonalization, and derealization, which is to say that a person with dissociative disorder perceives things differently than they are in reality. Perhaps the eye of the old man wasn’t a window to his soul but rather a mirror into the narrator’s soul. As he looked at the old man’s eye, a glimpse into the soul of the narrator was evident in which he saw his true self: cloudy and barely functioning.

            Another possible fallacy in the story could be the recantation of the murder. The narrator talks about waiting for hours in the dark not moving a muscle in preparation of killing the eye. This perception could be construed by the narrator’s state of mind. Due to the fact that he is the one telling the tale and speaking of the timing, it’s possible that as opposed to the meticulous hours of waiting to commit the crime that in reality he could have waited only minutes into the night to kill him. This theory fits with the idea of amnesia, which is common for people with dissociative disorder. There were few mentions of exact numbers in the text: seven, eight, twelve, and four. “So you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed, to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept. Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door.” (786). An interesting observation about the murder finally taking place on the eighth night is almost biblical. According to the Bible, God gave direction in the Old Testament to “Let [the sheep] stay with their mothers for seven days, but give them to me on the eighth day.” (New International Version, Exodus 22:30). The narrator let the eye and old man live for seven days before sacrificing it. Similarly, only mention of exact time was of twelve o’clock and four o’clock when the police arrived. Midnight in the Bible is known as the time where life ends and eternity begins. Additionally, four is an interesting number because it’s the number of days Lazarus was dead before being raised from the dead by Jesus. It was four hours after midnight when the police came and rose the dead body of the old man from the floor. Continuing on the construed timeframe theory, four days may feel like four hours once being freed of the watch of the eye. 

            By dissecting one of Poe’s most famous stories, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” the reader can see that the old man who was murdered is not very different from the narrator at all due to the fact that the narrator’s mind is just as veiled as the eye of the old man. An equally famous work of Poe’s is that of “The Raven” which is not very different from “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Both of these works follow an unnamed narrator into a world of first discomfort leading to madness and leave the reader with the idea that holding onto the past that haunts you can only drive you mad.  Perhaps Poe wasn’t trying to become the best horror writer of all time, but rather trying to make a general statement about his life experiences through his works, like “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Raven,” that without closure there’s only madness.

 

Works Cited

Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Tell Tale Heart." Anthology of American Literature. By

George L. McMichael. 8th ed. Vol. 1. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice

Hall, 2004. 785-88. Print.

New International Version. [Colorado Springs]: Biblica, 2011. 
            BibleGateway.com.  Web. 3 Mar. 2011.