Tell Tale Heart Essay

Readers are able to see that an eye is a symbol in the story because the eye is repeated throughout the story multiple times. However, the eye does not symbolize what people would have expected it to symbolize. While the standard interpretation of the eye is sight, in the story, the eye symbolizes fear and weakness. Evidence of this is “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” (Poe 523). From the evidence, readers are able to tell that the eye symbolizes fear because the man was terrified of the eye.

"The eyes are the window to your soul," In not being able to see Mr. Hooper's eyes, the congregation becomes distressed and uncomfortable. The eyes make it possible for others to discern your feelings and emotions. Mr. Hooper creates an impenetrable solitude that makes it impossible for people to relate to him. The body is but a shell; the eyes are the gates to the real self. From the first day of the veil dropping over the minister's face people's opinions changed of him. He becomes a mystery, unreachable and feared. In reality the minister hadn't changed at all. He is the same gentle man with

Edgar Allen Poe is the genius responsible for dark, twisting, and often uncomfortably wondrous gothic tales, and one of the best is 'The Tell-Tale Heart.' This is a classic tale of a confused man who is so incredibly bothered by his housemate's eye, that he (I am assuming this sexless character is male) thinks the only solution is to resort to cold-blooded murder. Poe incorporates the symbol of the old man's eye in 'The Tell-Tale Heart,' which has both physical and psychological meaning, it also helps to develop the plot and central conflicts in the story. The eye allows a better understanding of the narrator's mental state, represents an omniscient/fatherly figure, and helps illustrate the theme of good verses evil.

In the short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Edgar Allan Poe uses many varying symbols, symbols that represent more than one feeling or idea. The old man’s eyes in the story are symbolic of a few things. The eyes are symbolic of how old man had a distorted view of the world which could possibly be why the narrator felt he had to kill the old man. The narrator calls the eye the “vulture eye” symbolic of the narrator’s feeling that because of the eye the man is evil (“The Tell-Tale Heart”). Kenneth Silverman says, “... eyes in Poe’s works arouse the dread of being consumed” (207). This is similar to how the narrator felt that the old man’s eye was controlling and took over its surroundings. Poe also portrays a blindness symbolized

Pain is something that few can resist showing, because on some level their survival depends on releasing some anguish. The eyes show all too readily the blunt realities of our world. They do this through more than tears, because some people have seen things so horrible and wretched that they have forgotten how to cry. One has but to look deeper, and the sparkle of his eye will tell a thousand stories far greater than with what the Arabian Nights ever enchanted its audiences.

The quote, ”The eyes are window to your soul,” has an important effect about my thinking involving in the story. In not being able to see Mr. Hooper’s eyes Congregation became uncomfortable. The eyes make it possible for others to recognize your feelings, emotions, and moods. By covering them darkness surrounding person himself. One quote that could relate to this story is, “do not judge by appearance.” From the first day of the veil dropping over Mr. Hooper’s face people’s opinions have changed of him. He became a mystery, unreachable, and feared. In reality Mr. Hooper didn’t change at all. He was the same kind and gentle man with the slight smile gracing his face. Only by adding of a simple

This quote goes '… above the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic –

Andre Dubus mentions and describes the “eyes” several times throughout his short story, “Killings.” Matt, the main character, notices the emotions that are conveyed through a person’s eyes more than anything else. His entire story is vaguely centered around the hidden feelings that people have, but refuse to show. Dubus uses the repetition of the “eyes” to show how much is really concealed within a person. William Henry, a well-known chemist, once said, “The eyes shout what the lips fear to say.” Henry put into words what Dubus was doing when writing this story. A few sentiments that the author channels to the readers are pain, fear, sorrow, and hope.

When the eyes are first mentioned he describes them in a very ominous and dark tone. The narrator also describes how they are seen overlooking The Valley of ashes. "But his eyes, dimmed a little by many days under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground.” (Fitzgerald 28). We can infer by the way he describes the eyes that they are meant to be an overlooking figure in the book. If the eyes didn't have this kind of importance then they would only be mentioned this one time, but they are described numerous times throughout the book.

Part C: 1. Poe describes the sensations of being buried alive. What imagery does Poe use to help you hear, see, smell, and feel?

Throughout the whole novel symbolism in eyes was crucial to the understanding of the text. Even from this passage eyes is used, “But is was all going by too fast now for his blurred eyes and he knew he lost that part of it…” (Ch 8 Pg. 153). His eyes could not keep up the with reality that Daisy was not coming back to him and that he had lost a part of himself by losing her forever. From each excerpt the symbolism might be different, but both are still crucial to the

The old man’s eye is blue with “film” or “veil” covering it. This could be a medical condition, but symbolically it means the characters have some sort of “inner vision,” known as one’s outlook on the world. The eye also does some mysterious stuff, meaning it seems dull and unseeing but also has powers. “For it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye.” (26) Every night around midnight the narrator would stalk the old man till he fell asleep and would look upon him as he slept. Until one night he was more daring and curious about the old man’s eye and wanted to get a closer look at the Evil Eye. “It was open, wide open and I grew furious as I gazed upon it.” (10)

The narrator thought the eye was evil in some way. If you want to know more about insanity to see why

The eye of the old man disturbs him: “One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture- a pale blue eye, with a film over it.” (Poe 305). All he can see in the eye is evil. This quote suggests that perhaps the old man’s eye was made up of glass. That could be a reason for the narrator seeing it as strange or different.

The man allows the thought of the eye and its ability to see things “differently” consume him alive. The man lives in great fear of the eye and that’s the only thing he can think about. The man is so disturbed by the evil eye he plans on dismembering it from the old man since it makes him so uncomfortable. “ When the old man looked at me with his vulture eye a cold feeling went up and down my back; even my blood became cold. And so I finally decided I had to kill the old man and close that eye forever” (Poe Web).