Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart": A Descent into Madness

Introduction: Poe and the Psychology of Madness

Edgar Allan Poe may be considered one of the founders of American Gothic literature. His obsession with the macabre and his ability to explore the psychological repercussions of perceived danger inspired him to write various short stories, including "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Tell-Tale Heart." In "The Tell-Tale Heart," Poe explores the events that lead the unnamed narrator to devise a plan to murder his neighbor and the subsequent events that cause the narrator to admit his guilt. Through this story, Poe conveys that insanity is a profound disease of the mind in which even the person suffering from madness does not realize that he or she is, in fact, insane, but rather believes that he or she is mentally stable.

It may be argued that Poe drew inspiration for many of his mentally unstable characters from his own personal experiences. There is evidence to support that Poe himself was afflicted with an unknown mental illness from which he may have derived inspiration for many of his stories. Furthermore, Poe may have been playing upon the public's fear of mentally unstable people, as more and more public institutions for the mentally ill were being opened across the country. In 1843, the year "The Tell-Tale Heart" was published, there were a total of 13 mental hospitals open across the country ("Dorothea Dix Begins Her Crusade").

At the beginning of "The Tell-Tale Heart," the narrator, though institutionalized, denies his mental instability and boasts: "True! — nervous — very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? … Hearken! And observe how healthily — how calmly I can tell you the whole story" (Poe, 37). As the narrator recounts his tale of how he premeditated and prepared to murder his neighbor on account of the man's "evil eye," it becomes increasingly evident that he may have been suffering from paranoid schizophrenia or a similar, undiagnosed mental affliction. Symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia, as defined in modern times, include delusions, argumentativeness, emotional distance, a sense of self-importance or a condescending manner, violence, anxiety, and auditory hallucinations (Mayo Clinic Staff). Each of these symptoms can be attributed to the narrator and the behaviors he demonstrates throughout the story.

The Narrator's Delusions and Denial of Insanity

The narrator exhibits several behaviors that may be attributed to delusion. For example, his obsession with his neighbor is not driven by anything the neighbor had done or anything he possessed — including objects or money — but rather, as the narrator states, "I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled a vulture — a pale blue eye, with a film over it" (Poe, 37). The narrator admits that he did not suddenly decide that his neighbor's evil eye would bring forth his demise, ironically doing so at the end, but rather that "by degrees — very gradually — [he] made up his mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid [himself] of the eye for ever" (37). Another delusion is his belief that he is not mad, but rather of sound mind and judgment. He does not believe that his sentiments toward the old man's vulture eye dulled or destroyed his senses; instead, he maintains that the disease, or obsession, that overtook him "had sharpened [his] senses" (37).

Argumentativeness, Emotional Distance, and Self-Importance

His delusions of mental health lead directly to his argumentativeness. Despite being convinced of his own stability, the narrator tries to convince others of it as well. As noted above, he credits his "disease" with sharpening his senses rather than destroying them. Given the great lengths to which the narrator attempts to persuade others of his sanity, it may be argued that he is not only trying to convince others, but also himself, that he has not gone mad. The one thing the narrator does admit to throughout the entire ordeal is being nervous; he acknowledges "very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am" (37).

The narrator is also able to create emotional distance between himself and the old man, as well as between the old man and his eye. The narrator initially admits that he "loved that old man," yet this "love" is not enough to prevent him from killing him (37). As soon as the narrator decides that the old man's evil eye must be destroyed — and the old man along with it — his character changes. He boasts, "You should have seen how wisely I proceeded — with what caution — with what foresight — with what dissimulation I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him" (37). As he plotted against the old man, the narrator began to view his neighbor not as a person, but as prey. Over the course of eight days, the narrator checked in on his neighbor while he slept; each following day, the narrator acted as though nothing was wrong, speaking "courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and inquiring how he had passed the night" (37). The narrator also claims to distinguish between the man and his eye, stating "it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye," yet he is unable to plot against the eye itself because he "found the eye always closed" (37).

During his preparations, the narrator exudes an air of self-importance and self-confidence, believing that he is completely prepared for the task he is to undertake. He did not act impulsively against the old man; rather, like the decision to kill his neighbor, he prepared gradually. While observing the old man sleeping for a week, he did not let anticipation get the best of him. On the eighth day, the narrator demonstrated remarkable self-control, claiming that he was "more than usually cautious in opening the door. A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than [his] did" (38). He credits his cautious behavior to the fact that "[n]ever before that night had [he] felt the extent of [his] own powers — of [his] sagacity" (38). As he lay in wait, the narrator contemplated what the old man must have felt, though he cannot truly compare himself to his neighbor, as he is not in the same vulnerable position. After carrying out the violent murder, the narrator believes he can dispose of the body so carefully that no evidence of foul play will remain. He states that he "replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye — not even his — could have detected any thing wrong. There was nothing to wash out — no stain of any kind — no blood spot whatsoever" (39). He credits the absence of visual evidence to his preparation, divulging that he "had been too wary for that" and "[a] tub had caught all" the blood (39).

Conclusion: Insanity Exposed

Poe is able to successfully explore the dangers of mental instability through the characterization of the narrator in "The Tell-Tale Heart." Poe brought attention to an unknown and often undiagnosed disease and presented the dangers of not seeking or obtaining treatment. While the narrator maintains that he is sane, he does not deny his guilt, freely recounting the meticulous details of his diabolical plan. In the process of denying his insanity, the narrator unwittingly provides compelling evidence that he is indeed suffering from a serious mental disorder — demonstrating that the unreliable narrator is one of literature's most powerful tools for exposing psychological truth.

Works Cited

"Dorothea Dix Begins Her Crusade." Mass Moments. Web. Accessed 14 October 2011.

Mayo Clinic Staff. "Paranoid Schizophrenia." Mayo Clinic. 16 December 2010. Web.

Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Tell-Tale Heart." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Compact Interactive Edition. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia, eds. New York: Pearson Longman, 2010. Print.